February 23, 2018 Main Dishes

Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Topping

Name: Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Topping
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3 people
Ingredients: 1 pound pork loin chops; 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 1 yellow cooking onion, sliced; 1 apple, cored and sliced; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Topping pairs the classic combination of pork and apple in a stunning entree that’s very easy to recreate!

grilled pork chops topped with cooked apples and onions

It’s deceptively easy to whip up grilled pork chops topped with apple and onion!

My husband and I like to travel. Mostly, we travel in the States with a travel trailer we tow behind our pickup truck. In an interesting twist of life, all three of our Canadian kids have settled in the United States with their families. You might assume that they would live near each other – but no – they are scattered far and wide! Fortunately, because my husband has been with the same company for a long time, he is able to get a decent amount of paid holiday time. I, of course, can work on the blog from anywhere. So, we organize most of our trips around visits to family. When we park our RV in their driveways, it’s like we live next door!

This recipe was created on one of those trips. While some recipes are born out of what we find in our kitchens, this one was created from a very limited trailer fridge inventory. It may seem strange that we would run low in food when we’ve been driving by scores of grocery stores. However, when our destination includes family we haven’t seen in ages, we don’t like taking the time to stop. Also, we’re not always sure what the plans will be when we arrive at our destination. Will we be eating out? Which meals will I be preparing and for how many people?

So, when I wanted to make dinner for my daughter and her husband who had just welcomed a newborn baby, I had pork chops and apples in my fridge. Well, they go well together, so we were in luck. I like simple recipes like this, anyway, so it’s one I’ve been repeating.

sliced apples and onions in a cast iron skillet

Have your onions cooking in a skillet while your pork chops are grilling.

Grilling Pork Chops

Grilling time will vary depending on the thickness of your pork chops. Naturally, thick ones are great, but sometimes we just have to work with what we have. I used boneless pork loin centre chops from the grocery store. There were three of them in an approximately one-pound package. Preheat your grill to high heat. Place pork chops onto hot grill for 2 or 3 minutes. Turn them over for another 4 minutes or so. Cook pork to an internal temperature of 160F. If you have some nice, thick pork chops, reduce the heat to finish them off. While you want your pork cooked to a safe temperature, don’t overcook it.

Grilled Pork Chops Topped with Apples and Onions

Apple Topping

Since pork chops tend to not have strong flavour on their own, I like them with this apple topping. If your chops are thin, you should prepare the topping first. If they’re thick, you might be able to cook this at the same time.

Sliced apples with sprigs of fresh rosemary

Garnish your serving platter with sprigs of fresh rosemary, if you like!

Travel Foods

These are some of the foods I bring with me on trips:

Granola

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Simple Herb Vinaigrette

Gluten Free Butter Tarts

Lavender Biscotti