This meal is one of the best ways to utilize the produce you can easily get all year long, but especially in the fall. Onions and apples are readily available and inexpensive. When you are craving comfort foods, you can pull this together in no time.

Pork chops come in many thickness, boneless, or bone-in. While the thin boneless cuts are great for quick midweek meals, for this recipe I prefer bone-in chops about 1-inch or thicker. They are more forgiving and harder to overcook. Pork these days should be cooked to just under medium with a touch of pink in the center - the guidelines say 145°F in the center. Pull them off the heat a little before they are done and let them rest, lightly covered. They will finish cooking off the heat, gently coming to the perfect temperature.

I have made many pan sauces over the years, each one enhancing the main course. A touch of wine or stock added to the pan you've used to cook your protein and you've got one of the best sauces you've ever tasted. In this case we are using apple cider as the primary liquid to deglaze the pan. What an amazing way to infuse the apple flavor throughout the sauce. A little wine helps cut the sweetness, taking the sauce more toward savory and creating the perfect accompaniment for luscious pork chops.

Onions have a lot of natural sugars in them and when you combine them with tart apples, it is a beauty to behold. Did you know there is a big difference between slicing an onion horizontally vs. lengthwise? Cut them crosswise (along the "equator") and they will dissolve as they cook; cutting them lengthwise will help them hold their shape. If you want recognizable pieces of onion, cut them lengthwise. For this recipe I recommend holding half the onions back and adding them about halfway through the cooking so you get more texture.

If you have the time, par-cook the chops in advance, wrap and hold them in the fridge. Then you can make the sauce and let it simmer slowly, developing even more flavor. There is nothing like slow simmering to elevate a dish from ordinary to outstanding!

This dish always reminds me of Peter Brady saying, "pork chops and applesauce" in his best Bogart imitation. Only instead of applesauce, we serve them with an elegant sauce flavored with apples and onions. I am certain that Peter Brady and Christopher Knight would love this!

I hope you enjoy it as much as The Artist and I did. Enjoy!

Smothered Pork Chops with Onions and Apples (Gluten-Free)

© 2016 Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook. All rights reserved.

Inspired by a Cook's Illustrated recipe

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Pork Chops

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

4 bone-in pork chops, each 3/4 to 1 inch thick, patted dry

Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 medium-large onions, trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thinly lengthwise,

1 or 2 tart green apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly

2 tbsp dry white wine, dry vermouth, or water

2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

Apple Cider Sauce

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour (see Note below)

1 cup apple cider

1/4 cup dry white wine, dry vermouth or chicken stock

To Serve

Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or cooked rice, for serving

Apple wedges for garnishing

Minced parsley, chives, or other fresh herb, for garnishing