Dutch Oven Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potato Recipe, from Realtree-Timber 2 Table Recipe.

Dutch Oven Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Potato Recipe

Another easy one-pot Dutch oven meal that is perfect for camp or home.

BY  AUTHOR OF TIMBER 2 TABLE WILD GAME RECIPESPRINT RECIPE

PREP TIME
COOK TIME
5-7
SERVES
EASY
DIFFICULTY

One of the best things about cooking in a Dutch oven is the ability to let it do most of the work while you enjoy camp life. This one-pot recipe is enough food to feed eight hungry campers and fits in our 12-inch Lodge Dutch oven.

Season the chops well on both sides.

Season the chops well on both sides.

The pork chops braise over the simmering sweet potatoes and apples, and all of it gets flavored with smoke from the fire. We made this dish at our turkey camp last weekend, and it was a hit with everyone.

One-pot dishes cut down on both cooking and clean up time at camp.

One-pot dishes cut down on both cooking and clean up time at camp.

The sweet potatoes and tart apples pair nicely with any pork chops, wild or domestic. These chops, while not wild, came from pigs we raised and butchered ourselves. Chops in the one inch or slightly thicker range work best for this recipe so that the pork doesn’t overcook in the time it takes the sweet potatoes to finish.

Thick cut chops work best for the recipe since they don't overcook before the sweet potatoes are finished.

Thick cut chops work best for the recipe since they don’t overcook before the sweet potatoes are finished.

To speed the cooking process, cut the sweet potatoes into large bite-sized chunks before adding them to the pot.

Cube the apples and sweet potatoes.

Cube the apples and sweet potatoes.

As the potatoes and apples cook, their juices blend with the pork drippings to make a thin gravy, perfect for spooning over the plated dish.

 

INGREDIENTS

6-8 thick cut pork chops

4 tart apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work well) quartered

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one- to two-inch cubes

1 cup apple cider

Salt, pepper

Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cooking oil

 

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Start by seasoning the pork chops well on both sides with salt, pepper and Cavender’s Greek Seasoning. Place the Dutch oven over a bed of coals and add one-quarter inch of vegetable oil. Sear the chops for two to three minutes per side (do this in batches so that the chops get a nice brown sear). Set the chops aside.

Brown the chops well on both sides in hot oil.

Brown the chops well on both sides in hot oil.

Add the sweet potatoes and apples to the pot. Season well with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Stir well to begin the cooking process. After a few minutes, pour in the cider. Return the chops to the Dutch oven (you can do more than one layer) on top of the apples and sweet potatoes.

Pour a bit of apple cider into the pot to form the base for the gravy.

Pour a bit of apple cider into the pot to form the base for the gravy.

Place the lid on the Dutch oven and add a few shovels full of coals from the fire to the top of the lid. Allow everything to cook for 40-45 minutes. Carefully remove the lid (taking care not to dump ash into the pot) and test the sweet potatoes for doneness by inserting a knife into a few sweet potato pieces. If they are soft and cooked through, you are ready to eat. If the sweet potatoes are still firm, replace the lid, add a few more coals, and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.