Crunchy Baked Pork with Cabbage, Apples and Onions and a Honey Balsamic Sauce – Recipe
There are some foods that belong together – like apples and pork. This recipe features a crunchy baked pork chop with classic cabbage, apples and onions but the surprise is in the balsamic honey sauce. It all comes together for a truly delicious dinner for two with some leftover vegetables for lunch the next day.
Crunchy Baked Pork with Cabbage, Apples and Onions and a Honey Balsamic Sauce
For the Pork
2 boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat
1/4 cup flour
1 TBS five spice powder
1/2 tsp salt
panko bread crumbs
1 egg
cooking spray
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For the Cabbage, Apples and Onions:
3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4″ pieces
1/2 head of cabbage
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 TBS butter (optional)
salt to taste
For the Honey Balsamic Sauce:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBS honey
1 tsp five spice powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS brandy (optional)
1 tsp butter (optional)
For the Peppered Noodles:
2 cups prepared egg noodles, preferably thick noodles
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme
salt to taste
Making the cabbage, apples and onions takes a little time because you want to get some color on the onions. This is not a quick, done in half an hour meal. But you also don’t need to be at the stove the whole time – you just need to pay attention that the onions don’t burn.
Place a large saute pan over med-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and get them coated with the oil. Add a generous sprinkling of salt. Lower the heat to medium and let the onions cook until they are very soft and very brown. It’s OK if some of them look a little burnt. This will take close to an hour.
While the onions are cooking slice the apples and get the rest of the components ready for dinner.
When the onions are ready – preheat the oven to 400°. If you have convection bake use it. Add the sliced apples to the onions in the pan. Stir to mix.
Add the sliced cabbage, the 1/2 cup of water and the butter if you are going to use it. Add a generous sprinkling of salt. Lower the heat to med-low and cover. Let this cook until the cabbage is soft and water is evaporated. About 40 minutes. Peak in on it periodically to stir and see if you need to adjust the heat.
Make a breading station for the pork; take the flour and mix it with the 5 spice powder and the salt. Mix the egg with a little water and put the panko on a plate. Dry off your pork chops, season them and dip them in the flour, the egg and then the panko.
Put them on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spray a little cooking spray on the pork chops and put them into the oven. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until crunchy and browned.
While the pork is baking put the water on to boil for noodles and make the sauce.
Add the balsamic, the 5 spice powder and the salt to a small sauce pan. Heat over med-high heat until it thickens and reduces. Remove from the heat and add the brandy if you are using it. Cook for another minute. Remove the heat and add the butter if you are using it. Let the butter just melt into the sauce. Stir in the honey.
It will be slightly thickened and rich. Set aside until you are ready to serve dinner.
After the noodles have cooked and are drained, take two cups of them and return them to the pot. Add the olive oil, freshly ground pepper and the thyme. Reserve a little thyme to sprinkle over the top. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve you place some noodles, then a generous serving of the cabbage, apples and onions and then the pork chop just slightly on top of the vegetable fruit mix. Drizzle the sauce on top. The sauce packs a big punch so you don’t need a lot of it. Sprinkle the rest of the fresh thyme on the noodles.
How Was the Crunchy Baked Pork?
The bite of the pepper in the noodles helps to balance the sweetness in the cabbage from the onions and apples. The 5 spice powder in the pork and sauce adds that background flavor that marries well with apples and cabbage. The panko gives the baked pork a nice crunch without resorting to frying the meat. It’s a very satisfying meal.
