Pork chops cooked low and slow become so tender and juicy—and so do the cabbage and apples that cook with them. Serve with a cold beer and imagine yourself at a biergarten in Germany.
It’s hard to get really excited by cabbage—it seems so ordinary! But when I was in southern Germany recently, I enjoyed some truly outstanding cabbage with pork.
I knew instantly what made it so good: the cabbage was cooked low and slow in plenty of pork fat, and the pork served alongside was incredibly juicy. It was a memorable meal, and that wasn’t just the German beer talking.
The first thing I did when I returned home was to buy a head of green cabbage and some center-cut pork chops. I decided to brown the pork and then cook the cabbage in the rendered pork fat and juices. When the cabbage was almost tender, I added an apple for sweetness, put the pork chops back in the pan, and finished cooking the everything in the oven.
The resulting dish—just nine ingredients!—was bursting with flavor. The long, slow cooking made the cabbage and apples extra sweet, and the pork juices gave it a savory, meaty depth.
It was like I was right back in Germany.
More Pork Chop Recipes!
Skillet Pork Chops with Cabbage Recipe
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 thick bone-in center-cut pork loin chops (2 1/2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 large head green cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced with a mandoline or chef’s knife
- 1 apple (any kind), peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Special equipment:
- Mandoline (optional)
- 10-inch oven-safe skillet
Method
1 Heat the oven to 400°F.
2 Sear the pork chops: Sprinkle the pork all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Heat a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and when it is hot, add the pork chops in one layer.
Sear for 3 minutes without disturbing. Turn and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
3 Cook the cabbage: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and cabbage, along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring until the cabbage is completely coated with oil.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the apples, caraway seeds (if using), and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes more, or until the cabbage is very tender and wilted.
4 Finish cooking the pork chops: Set the pork chops on the cabbage and tip any juices from the bowl into the pan with the cabbage.
Transfer to the oven. Cook the pork for 10 to 15 minutes, without turning the chops, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers at least 145°F. Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your pork chops.
5 Serve: Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be very hot). Let the meat and cabbage sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve immediately.
