Apple Chutney Chops

A week out. I am in the shape of the week I was in a year ago, body-memory. A year ago today Sean could no longer speak full sentences. A year ago Thursday he could not swallow. A year ago Saturday the hospice nurse said it would be any day.

I was a widow in training. I did not know. Part of me did.

I told Dr. Rashid Monday. He said, take next Friday off. I said I will. He said take whatever you need. I said the Friday, I will work Monday through Thursday. He said okay.

Group Tuesday. I cried the entire ninety minutes. Bernadette passed me tissues quietly and did not ask me to speak. One of the new widows put her hand on my back for a minute. I did not know her name. She did not say anything. Afterward I thanked her and she said I know how it is. That was the whole conversation.

Clinic was hard. I had to cancel my Thursday afternoon because I was dissociating during a 2 PM visit. Dr. Rashid covered. He said go home. I went home. I made dinner for the kids. I watched them eat. I was not fully there. They did not notice. Nora sang a song about a dog.

Meghan came over Friday night. She brought a bottle of wine and did not make me talk. We sat on the couch and watched a baking show. I fell asleep with my head on her shoulder. She did not move until I woke up at 2 AM. Then she slept in the guest room.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Hard to flip through the blur. Liam said Mom are you sad. I said yes baby. He said I am sad too. I said I know. We ate.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made a simple thing — baked chicken, rice, green beans. She did not fuss. Dad sat next to me. He put his hand on the back of my neck for a second, the way he used to when I was a kid. He did not say anything.

Food of the week: nothing fancy. Baked chicken and rice. The food you can eat even when you cannot taste.

Ma’s baked chicken that Sunday was the right food — plain, warm, no performance required. I wanted to carry that same idea into my own kitchen the following week, something I could put on the stove without having to think, something with a little sweetness to cut through everything heavy. Apple chutney chops are that meal for me: one pan, a handful of ingredients, done before the kids finish their homework. You don’t have to taste it fully for it to do its job.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup apple chutney (store-bought or homemade)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Sear. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove chops and set aside.
Make the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, stir together the apple chutney, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and cinnamon. Cook 1–2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
Simmer together. Return the pork chops to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the top, cover, and cook on low heat 8–10 minutes until chops are cooked through (internal temperature 145°F).
Rest and serve. Let chops rest 3 minutes before serving. Spoon remaining pan sauce over the top. Serve with rice or roasted vegetables.

Nutrition (per serving)

Apple Chutney Chops — The Meal You Make When Simple Is All You Have