Dinner for Two: Pork chops this way

Mustard-crusted pork chops served with a salad of hearty kale, roasted sweet potatoes and apples dressed with a light apple cider vinaigrette combine for a lovely dinner for two that’s a celebration of fall flavors and ingredients.

Mustard is a cool-season crop. Coarse-grain mustard, which is used to coat these pork chops before breading, has a wonderful full mustard flavor and texture because most of the seeds are left whole. With Halloween coming up, you may hear the term “eye of newt” mentioned. If you’ve ever wondered what it is, it’s actually an archaic term for mustard seed.

I like to use bone-in pork rib chops whenever possible. Pork chops can be dry, but when left on the bone, you’ll end up with more flavor and juiciness after they’re cooked. Simply coat the pork chops with coarse-grain mustard, followed by seasoned panko, brown on the stovetop, and finish in the oven.

The accompanying kale salad is perfect with the pork or by itself. Drizzle the kale first with a touch of olive oil then give it a light “massage” to soften it up. The sweet potatoes can be roasted along with the pork chops since they take about the same amount of time. I used Honeycrisp apples, but feel free to use your favorite sweet apple variety.

If you’d like an additional side dish, the Au Gratin Potatoes for Two recipe I shared recently would be perfect! Welcome, fall!

MUSTARD-CRUSTED PORK CHOPS WITH KALE, SWEET POTATO AND APPLE SALAD

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

Pork chops:

2 bone-in pork rib chops (approximately 12 ounces each)

salt and black pepper, to taste

¼ cup coarse-grain mustard

½ cup panko (regular or gluten-free)

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, or as needed

Salad:

1 medium sweet potato (9-10 ounces), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

salt and black pepper, to taste

1 bunch curly, red or Tuscan kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 sweet apple such as Honeycrisp, cored and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Season pork chops generously with salt and black pepper. Coat pork chops with mustard.

3. Combine panko and poultry seasoning on a plate. Thoroughly coat pork chops in breadcrumb mixture.

4. Heat oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place pork chops in the skillet and brown well on both sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side, adjusting heat as necessary so breadcrumb coating does not burn. Add oil as needed as breadcrumbs absorb some of the oil. If your pan is not oven-safe, transfer to a baking sheet and finish in the oven, approximately 15-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 155 degrees.

5. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes alongside the pork.

6. Place kale in a bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and massage lightly for 1 minute to soften it.

7. Toss apple with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Add to bowl with the kale.

8. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining olive oil, remaining cider vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Toss with kale.

9. Place equal amounts of salad on two plates. Top salad with warm roasted sweet potatoes and serve salad with pork chops.

Carol Borchardt owns A Thought For Food Personal Chef Service. She creates diet and palate-specific meals for clients in their homes. To find out more, visit her website at athoughtforfood.com or her blog at fromachefskitchen.com