Easy Pork Chops and Red Cabbage

Browned and tender pork chop with red cabbage in wine.

While I am predominately of German decent and love the sweet, sour, tangy recipes for red cabbage, my husband does not.  I have long looked for a red cabbage recipe he would enjoy.  THIS IS IT.  He really liked this one and I am so happy to have adapted one that works for us.  Especially now that the health benefits of the deeply colored produce have been determined and because of the issues with leafy greens in his diet due to the medications he takes.

Having sail all this I adapted the recipe from French Cooking, from Laura Calder, for Red Wine Cabbage.  The pork chops are just the way I like them, good and easy!

Ingredients for the Pork Chops:

4 center cut pork chops about 5/8" thick
coarse kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
all purpose flour for dredging
2 T. vegetable oil or pork drippings whichever you prefer

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray a flat shallow baking dish with cooking spray and set aside for now.

Generously season the chops with salt and pepper.  Turn on a heavy skillet (cast iron if you have it) and add the oil to preheat.  Dredge 2 seasoned chops in the flour, shaking off any excess and place them in the pan.  Brown on each side for 4-5 minutes over medium high heat then remove them from the pan and place them in the oven uncovered in the prepared dish. Repeat the process for the second pair of chops, then add them to the first pair.  Leave them while you prepare the cabbage or check them in 30 minutes and reduce the heat to 200 degrees and leave another 15 minutes or so.

Ingredients for Red Cabbage in Wine:

1 small or 1/2 large head of red cabbage, about 8 ounces
1 T. vegetable oil or pork drippings
4-5 slices thick cut bacon diced or cut into lardons
1 onion diced
1/2 C. stock, meat, poultry, or vegetable (I had chicken on hand)
1/2 C. dry wine (I used Apricot, a bit pink but dry)
1 T. red wine vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C. raisins (I used golden)
1 T. brown sugar
1 apple, cored, peeled, and grated

Core and shred the cabbage.  (I did this as soon as the chops went into the oven.)  Melt the fat in a dutch oven if you have one, if not a large pot will do.  Add the bacon and saute until done.  Remove the bacon and set aside.  Cook the onion is the drippings until soft but do not brown them.  Stir in the cabbage and cooked bacon and cook for about 8-10 minutes,

Pour in the stock,wine, and vinegar and season with the salt and pepper.  (I used about 1 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper.)  Cover and simmer until nearly tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Uncover, add the raisins, brown sugar,and apples. Continue cooking about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Taste and adjust the seasonings if need be.   The chops were browned and tender the cabbage delicious. (I confess to having been surprised when Brian really liked it.  A first for red cabbage!)   Serve up and enjoy.

Note:  I purposefully fixed enough of this meal to store for a second meal on another night.  After dinner I placed the cabbage in the bottom of an oven proof dish and layered the 2 remaining chops on top.  They can be reheated as they are in the microwave or placed in a 325 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.  Just be sure to store in a covered heat resistant container.