pat's Recipe

PORK CHOPS WITH CARAMELIZED MAPLE ONIONS

Category: Pork

Serves 4

2-pound pork rack with 4 bones attached

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large yellow onions, sliced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 whole star anise

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 cups apple cider

About 20 minutes before cooking, season the pork rack all over with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the pork rack and sear it on all sides until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and cook, stirring, until the onions are a deep caramel brown, about 2 minutes.

Add the cider to the skillet and stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes longer. Adjust the seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Put the pork in a shallow roasting pan. Spoon enough of the oven mixture over the pork to cover it completely, reserving the rest of the onions. Roast in the preheated oven until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, not touching bone, about 40 minutes total. About halfway through that cooking time, spoon the remaining onions over the meat.

Remove the roast from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

To serve, use a sharp carving knife to cut the roast between the bones into 4 equal chops. Place them on individual serving plates, spooning onions and juices from the pan over each chop.



serves 4