One 1-inch boneless pork chop, two Granny Smith apples and a sweet potato, ideas?

[applecrisp]

I have a 1-inch boneless pork chop, a few apples, and a sweet potatoto on hand, and I'd like to use them up (at least two of the three items) for dinner in the next day or so.

I've only cooked pork a couple of times so certainly looking for ideas. Oh, and I'm a pork cooking novice.

Any ideas on how to use up the pork, the apples, and maybe toss in the sweet potato to boot. I do like that combo just haven't thought on what to do beyond that, other than possibly making oven roasted sweet potato fries. Oh, and cooking directions would be great.

Do I pan fry the pork chop, then finish cooking in the oven. A few times I tried cooking the pork chop on the stove and the outside gets overdone way before the inside is cooked. I've cut the 1-inch chop in 1/2 a few times which has helped. Other times I finished off in the oven. Oh, and I don't have an instant meat thermometer --- and I know I should get one.
No crockpot.

Thanks,

[Canice]

Yum, sounds like you've got dinner!
I would definitely do oven fries (w/a little kick) and pork chop and apple sauce. I see recipes all the time that say to finish the chops in the oven, but mine always came out dry when I did that, so I cook them entirely on the stove. I do use bone-in, though, and have a gas stove. Are you using gas or electric? When I used to go to my mom's I found it hard to cook certain things on an electric stove.
I usually serve pork chops smothered in sautéed onions or mushrooms or with a mustard pan sauce, but with apples and sweet potatoes, I'd keep it much simpler or you risk a lot of competing flavors.

[dreamer101]

I was watching Guy Fieri on the Food Network today. Adams' Apple Mashed Potatoes would go great with a nice chop. I don't know about the sweet potato. Now I have 2 Granny Smith apples on my grocery list.

Adams' Apple Mashed Potatoes

[applecrisp]

Canice -- I have an electric stove. I'm with you, with those ingredients, simple is the way to go. I think I will make oven sweet potato fries. (off topic, I made some great sweet potato fries last week finishing with lime juice, zest, and cilantro -- loved the different flavors). Hmmm, I have some great maple syrup that I'm going to try to use too. And, some dried cranberries. Hello Fall!

Dreamer --- Thanks for the recipe idea, off to check it out.

I am going to do some surfing for some basic guidelines for cooking pork so it doesn't turn into leather.

Thanks again.

[Canice]

If you want to use your maple syrup, you could cook and mash the sweet potato and add maple syrup and minced chipotle in adobo and a little dairy of your choosing. I love that! And you can even nuke it after it's made, so you've got one dish done.
An instant-read thermometer really is your friend in this case, but that aside, if I were cooking on an electric stove I think I'd get my heaviest pan as hot as I could. Meanwhile, brush the chop with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I'd cook it 2 minutes per side -just to get that golden crust- and finish in a 350 oven for six minutes. That's totally unscientific, but it's what I'd do

Dreamer, that apple dish is really interesting looking! Please post a review if you make it.

[applecrisp]

Canice,

Thanks so much for the guidelines -- that is super helpful.

Those mashed sweet potatoes sounds great, will be making them the next time I have all the ingredients.

Canice, do you know if most instant thermometers are basically the same. Anything I should look for? Taylor brand? I don't need anything fancy with bells and whistles.

Thanks again.

[Canice]

I think that, by definition, there are no bells or whistles available on instant-reads. Mine is a Pyrex that I'm sure I bought at Safeway or the hardware store or something for five bucks.
I would think more about size: mine has a prong of less than 5" and is about 1/8" in diameter (I'm guessing it's the smallest size around). It's a great size for a chop or a piece of chicken, though I definitely use it for whole chickens as well. The one I used at my ex's house was a lot bigger and kind of unwieldy for smaller cuts.

I used to do a lot of prep work early in the week for quick meals, and that included making the sweet potatoes (I use garnet "yams") and also blanching broccoli, kale, green beans, etc. so I could just toss them in a pan with olive oil and seasoning for quick sides. FWIW