Tim’s pork chops, apples, cider and bean casserole

My husband’s favourite dish so it must be good

Tim’s pork chops, apples, cider and bean casserole will win anyone over.

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 50 – 55 mins
• Serves: 4
• Difficulty: easy
• Ideal for: midweek meal, family, comfort

Tim’s pork chops, apples, cider and bean casserole

This is one of my husband’s favourite dishes to cook.

He loves pork.

And he loves apples.

So, any chance he can get this combo going, he grabs.

And to keep me happy, he does it with butter beans.

Butter beans or potatoes

I admit, I use beans a lot these days.

I got a little bit sick of potatoes.

Don’t get me wrong, I love potatoes.

Mashed, roasted, new potatoes, jacket potatoes.

But sometimes when you’re busy, adding another dish to the party of dishes is something I don’t want to do.

So, my dear husband, put this delicious dish together so we just had one pot to deal with.

Apples, apples, apples

Apples, or any fruit tree… this has been a bit of an ongoing ‘battle’ between Tim and me.

I grew up on a small 40-acre farm in NZ but then my parents converted half of it into a peaches and nectarines orchard.

They exported this high-quality fruit to Japan…

And I flogged it at primary school for 50 cents apiece!

But, as a family, we had to work on the orchard.

From helping plant all the trees in the freezing cold (there are impressively annoyed-looking pictures of me and my brother in our family photo album).

To picking up all the branches from the pruning (Dad made sure this orchard was immaculate).

And of course, to picking and packing the fruit.

Now, what has this got to do with Tim and them apples?

Them apples

Because of my childhood orchard days (and there were plenty of fun times), I am a little ‘scarred’ by fruit trees.

Tim kept wanting to grow apple trees and other fruit trees in our garden.

I resisted for years but finally weakened when we agreed he would look after them and espalier them along the fence line.

And he had to do all the watering, pruning, picking, and cooking of them (apples).

Of course, unless he reads this, he won’t find out, that these homegrown apples are top-notch!

And the apple sauce Tim whips up is second to none.

Of course, to make this dish, you don’t need to grow your own apples.

The absolute beauty of this dish is its simplicity.

High-quality pork chops, beautiful large butter beans to soak up the flavours and seasonal apples.

And of course, one pan.

Job done.

Well done, husband.

Tips for juicy, tender pork

When cooked right, this lean cut becomes tender and flavoursome.

But there are a few tips to ensure a tender and juicy pork chop.

Season before cooking.

Season with salt and pepper before cooking to enhance the pork’s flavour.

Bring the pork chops to temperature

Like all meat, always take it out of the fridge before cooking and bring it to room temperature (approx. 15 – 30 mins).

Rest the meat.

Let your chops rest for a few minutes.

This lets the fibres of the meat relax and makes it tender and juicier.

Know what chop you’re cooking.

There are actually a few different cuts.

And depending on which cut you buy, the meat may be tender, lean, and quick-cooking.

Or it may be tough and need braising and a longer cook time.

Jamie’s pork cut guide

1. Shoulder

The meat from the hard-working shoulder is a super-versatile cut.

Because it can either be minced or diced for cooking slowly in stews or kept on the bone and slow-roasted until tender and falling apart.

The fillet from the top of the shoulder is just tender enough to be cut into steaks for grilling or barbecuing.

Cooking

The best way to cook a shoulder is slow and low – simply wrap it in a double layer of tin foil (to lock in the moisture) and pop it in the oven at 150ºC/300ºF/gas 2.

Cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until you get melt-in-your-mouth, beautifully tender meat.

2. Loin

Pork loin is a classic roasting joint.

It can either be cooked in one piece with the bone or deboned, stuffed and rolled.

You can keep the skin on and crisp it up to get lovely crackling, or remove the skin and marinate the whole loin.

So, for best results, be sure to rest the meat before carving.

Chops that are cut from the loin are ideal for pan-roasting and grilling.

If the fillet is left inside the pig when the chops are cut, you’ll get T-bone loin chops.

3. Fillet

The fillet or tenderloin is a long thin muscle, found on the inside of the ribcage and is a part of the loin cut.

It can be cooked whole, cut into small round medallions and pan-fried, or cut into 1cm slices and bashed into thin escalopes.

Pork fillet is the leanest of all cuts, so it’s the healthiest choice.

Cooking

It’s best to marinate or tenderise the fillet, then cook it quickly at a high temperature until slightly blushing pink in the middle.

Cooking it for too long will dry the meat out – and always remember to rest the fillet.

4. Rib chop

Chops from the ribs are often grilled or barbecued.

When a few chops are kept together in one piece they make a brilliant rib roast.

Cooking

They are best cooked in a pan, on a grill or on the barbecue – use a high heat and turn the meat regularly so it builds up a beautiful gnarly crust and the fat renders down for juicy, succulent results.

5. Chump chop

A really meaty chop, cut from the rump of the pig, it can be bought either on or off the bone.

Chump is a cheap cut with delicious flavour and texture.

Cooking

It’s versatile and easy to cook, either fried, grilled or barbecued.