It’s no secret that pork, apples, and sage taste spectacular together. And this recipe is no exception. It may just surprise you, though, with how quickly and easily it comes together. Thin pork cutlets are given a quick sear, apples are cooked gently until sweet and tender, and the pan drippings are infused with sage. And done in 30 minutes max. You tell us whether the best part is the taste, the quick timing, or just one skillet to clean.–Angie Zoobkoff
Pork Scallopini with Apples and Sage
Ingredients
- Six (4 ounce) pork cutlets, pounded to 1/8-inch (3-mm) thickness
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for the pork chops
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
- 2 (about 12 oz total) large apples, preferably a tart and crisp variety such as Granny Smith or Rome, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) thick wedges
- Large pinch granulated sugar
- Large pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 4 small oil-packed anchovy fillets
- 16 fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, 7 to 15 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary. The timing will depending on the variety of apple and the flame beneath your skillet. Stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the apples to a plate.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in 3 garlic cloves, 2 anchovies, and 8 sage leaves and cook for 15 seconds. Add 3 pork cutlets to the skillet and cook until well-browned and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add a few spoonfuls of water to the skillet to help scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Transfer the cutlets and juices to warmed serving plates. Repeat with the remaining oil, garlic, anchovies, sage, and pork.
- Scatter the apples on top of the cutlets and drizzle with the pan sauce. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This pork scallopini with apples and sage is a homey dish that can be both for a family-night meal and as a company dish. Everything came together quickly and was very wonderful to eat! I’ll definitely make this dish again!
The slightly crunchy exterior to the apples with the cinnamon and sugar gave everything that sweet and savory touch. If desired, I think a little more cinnamon and sugar could be dusted on the apple wedges. (I did!) I sautéed the pork cutlets for 2 minutes per side and cooked them in 2 batches as suggested. At first, I didn’t think there would be enough pan sauce with just adding water to the pan drippings, but it made a wonderful glaze for the cutlets.
The pork cutlets can be pounded out ahead of time and the apples caramelized and removed to a separate plate and left at room temperature to make the final cooking go very fast.
I did use the anchovy fillets. I wondered about it at first, but they gave the final glaze a rich and darker color as they melted into the pan drippings.
I served the pork with wild rice and roasted asparagus.
The flavors of these pork scallopini with apples and sage in this were a knockout. The anchovies melted into the pan juices and were indiscernible as anchovies, but they added an umami kick that elevated the resulting dish beyond the everyday.
The sage and vinegar made good companions to both the pork and apples—and pork and apples go great together—but the cinnamon sugar got lost in the mix. I used big pinches of both cinnamon and sugar (well, what for me and my small fingers were big pinches) but it just wasn’t enough to come through, especially with so much black pepper. I think I’d use at least 1/8 teaspoon of each next time. (My pinches of sugar and cinnamon were 1/16 of a teaspoon each.)
I used 1 Honeycrisp and one Granny Smith apple. This was served with several mezze to start (baguette slices, hummus, rice-stuffed grape leaves, and marinated gigande beans) and baked potatoes with sour cream.
Very quick and easy. The pork I would say needs four minutes at the very most. Tasty and very tender. Served with roast potatoes and a creamy mashed swede.
Doug, thanks for that feedback. I’m sure it will help our readers.