Aspen Ridge Farm’s pasture-raised, soy and GMO free pork is back in stock for Saturday’s market!
During the growing season, Aspen Ridge pigs are rotated through pastures and woods to allow them to forage as much as possible. In the winter months they provide dried forage in the form of hay for the pigs to munch on. The pigs receive a breakfast and dinner of grains sourced from local farmers that are custom-ground and mixed. Since they don’t leave grain out for the pigs the entire day, it encourages their foraging and results in a nice red meat with an exquisite flavor.
The following recipe is one of farmer Meredith’s favorite ways to cook pork chops in the winter. The dish makes fabulous pan juices that she likes to serve over mashed potatoes. Virtually all of these ingredients are available at the market and utilize in-season, winter storage crops of apples, apple cider, onions, and potatoes (for the mashed potatoes).
Honey Roasted Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pork chops
• 1/3 cup apple cider or juice
• 1 tart, firm apple, cored and cut into thick slices but not peeled.
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings
• ¼ cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the salt, pepper, and sage; rub into the meat. Pour the olive oil into the heated ovenproof skillet, and sear the chops over medium heat, 1 minute per side or until browned. Remove from the heat, add the cider, sliced apple, onions, and raisins. Drizzle with honey, cover, and roast for 1.5 hours or until fork-tender.
Recipe from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes. This is farmer Meredith’s favorite cookbook and she’ll have it at the market for you to flip through.
Farmer Notes: “I’ve also prepared this recipe using my crock pot with great success. Sear the chops and then place them in your crock pot instead of oven, adding all of the above ingredients.”