Grilled pork chops with pressure-cooker-stewed fennel and Granny Smith apple

A simple Yummy Lummy-inspired meal: pig, anise-sweet fennel, sharp green apple, heat, pressure, and appetite.

Introduction

This is dinner for when you want something meaty, sharp, sweet, and soft without making a fuss. The pork chops are grilled hot and rested properly. The fennel and Granny Smith apple are cooked under pressure until they collapse into a silky, savoury-sweet stew. Pork and fennel are a classic pairing because pork brings richness and fennel brings a gentle anise sweetness. Apple joins the party with acid and freshness, especially when it is a tart Granny Smith. I do like tartness.

Serves and timing

• Serves: 2 Gary-type people or 4 normal people. I’m having the second serve tomorrow night.
• Preparation time: 15 minutes.
• Pressure cooking time: 3 minutes at high pressure, plus 5 minutes natural release.
• Grilling time: 8 to 12 minutes, depending on chop thickness.
• Resting time: 5 minutes.

Ingredients

For the pork chops

• 2 bone-in pork chops, about 250 to 300 g each and 2.5 cm thick.
• 1 teaspoon coarse cooking salt.
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

For the pressure cooker stewed fennel and Granny Smith apple

• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, fronds reserved, bulb cut into 1 cm wedges.
• 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled; keep the core and seeds, and cut into wedges.
• 1 small brown onion, peeled and quartered.
• 1 tablespoon beef fat.
• ½ teaspoon coarse cooking salt.
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
• 125 mL mixed mammal cooking liquor.
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.

Method

1. Season the pork

1. Pat the pork chops dry with kitchen paper.
2. Season both sides and the fatty edge of each chop.

2. Pressure cook the fennel and Granny Smith apple

1. Set the pressure cooker to sauté mode.
2. Add the beef fat and let it melt.
3. Add the onion, fennel, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and the fennel smells sweet.
5. Add the Granny Smith apple wedges, cooking liquor, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard.
6. Stir once, scraping the base so nothing is stuck.
7. Seal the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
8. Allow a 5 minute natural release, then carefully vent the remaining pressure.
9. Open the lid, stir gently, and simmer on sauté mode for 2 to 4 minutes if you want a thicker stew.
10. Taste and adjust with a little more salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed.

3. Grill the pork chops

1. Heat a grill plate, barbecue, or heavy pan until hot.
2. Place the chops on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side.
3. Turn and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the second side.
4. Stand the chops on the fatty edge for 30 to 60 seconds to render and crisp the fat.
5. Check the internal temperature. Aim for 63 °C in the thickest part, then rest the chops. The temperature will rise slightly as they rest.
6. Rest the chops on a warm plate for 5 minutes before serving.

4. Serve

1. Warm dinner plates before serving. A warm dinner plate can have a remarkable effect on the enjoyment of a meal.
2. Spoon the stewed fennel and apple onto warm plates.
3. Place a rested pork chop on top, or beside the stewed fennel and apple.
4. Add a final crack of black pepper.
5. Garnish with fennel fronds and pickled pomegranate arils.
6. Eat while hot, preferably with no apology for enjoying the fat.

Homer Simpson’s pork chop moment

There is something wonderfully uncomplicated about a pork chop. Homer Simpson would understand this meal. I can imagine him at the table, fork in hand, eyes fixed on the chop, giving the sort of pleased murmur usually reserved for doughnuts. The fennel and apple would probably be described as “the fancy green and white stuff”, but once the pork juices run into it, even Homer would know it belongs on the plate.

Adelaide Central Market wander

Before cooking this pork chop dinner, I had one of those Adelaide Central Market visits that makes a person glad to live near good food. I wandered through the Market and stopped at Skala Artisan Bakers, a South Australian bakery known for bread, pastries, and cakes, and bought a couple of potato pies. There is something deeply reassuring about a pie with potato on top. It is practical. It is filling. It is not trying to be delicate.

I also picked up a couple of Portuguese tarts from Saudade, the Adelaide Central Market stall specialising in pastel de nata. These little custard tarts are a joy. The pastry should be crisp and flaky, with enough structure to hold the custard, yet tender enough to shatter slightly when bitten. The custard should be smooth, sweet, and gently eggy, with a burnished top that says heat has done its good work. These also had powdered cinnamon on top, which added a warm, sweet spice note without overpowering the custard. I like them still slightly warm if possible, but I am not proud; room temperature is also fine when the tart is good. Potato pie first, Portuguese tart later, and pork chops for dinner. That is a nice little food day.

Cooking notes

• Do not overcook the pork. A meat thermometer is the most reliable way to keep pork juicy.
• Cut the fennel thicker if you want more texture. Cut it thinner if you want it to melt into the apple.
• Granny Smith apples are useful here because their sharpness balances the pork fat.
• If the stew tastes flat, add a splash more apple cider vinegar.
• If the stew tastes too sharp, stir in a small knob of butter.

I exploited Microsoft Copilot to refine and format this blog post. Artificial intelligence large language models can make mistakes.

I exploited ChatGPT to add the cartoon bubble to the photograph of me. I also exploited ChatGPT to whiten my teeth. You do not need to see how yellow they are after all the coffee that I drink.