Thick, bone-in pork chops are great to have on hand when you’re craving rib-sticking, high-quality protein but would like to avoid a workout in the kitchen. Here they’re coated in a savory-sweet mustard glaze and roasted along with a wintry mix of nutrient-dense Brussels sprouts, apples, and onions, allowing their natural sugars to caramelize as they soften. For a quick carb to balance this high-protein meal, a packet of pre-cooked microwavable wild and brown rice blend will do the trick. RECIPE HERE. Serves 4 (or 2 to 3, with leftovers). -- Susan Puckett
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 tablespoon maple syrup
· 2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced (or more if you love garlic)
· 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
· Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
· 2 large, bone-in pork chops, about 1 ½ inches thick (about 1 ¾ pounds total)
· 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved through the stem
· 2 medium sweet-tart apples, cored, halved, and sliced ½ inch thick
· ½ medium red onion, sliced ½ inch thick
Instructions
1. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready two rimmed sheet pans — 1 large and 1 medium. (Line with foil for easy clean-up if you prefer).
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, and ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
3. Pat the pork chops dry and place on the medium sheet pan. Smear the mustard mixture to coat the chops all over and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts, apples, onions, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons of the thyme, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, or to taste. Toss well to coat and spread out on the large sheet pan.
5. Place both pans on the two racks in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Flip the chops, give the vegetables and apples a stir, and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are tender and browned and the pork chops register 135-140 degrees on a meat thermometer.
6. Remove the pans from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
7. You can serve the pork chops whole for hearty eaters. Or you can slice the meat off the bone and serve the slices alongside the vegetable and apple mixture, reserving leftovers for another meal.
8. Drizzle pan juices over it all and serve immediately.
Susan Puckett is a cookbook author and former food editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow her at susanpuckett.com.