Lunch / Dinner
Pork Chops & Braised Cabbage with Applesauce Dumplings
This three-in-one supper gives you tender pork chops, braised cabbage, and savory dumplings — and all you need is a single skillet.
Skillet braising requires a good amount of hands-on preparation, but it’s a worthwhile way to get a full meal from a single skillet.
A few things ensure success with this braised meal. First a large, deep cast-iron skillet is perfect for creating moist pork chops, braised cabbage, and applesauce dumplings. Second, make sure you have a heavy-duty lid that seals tightly to keep all the moisture inside the pan and in your food. Third, stick with a small amount of liquid for braising. The cabbage and other vegetables release liquid as they cook. Adding too much liquid can result in cabbage soup with soggy dumplings, because the dumplings do absorb some of the braising liquid. Finally, for the fluffiest dumplings, don’t peek. Removing the lid lets all the steam escape and prevents the dumplings from rising.
Ingredients
FOR THE PORK CHOPS, HEAT:
FOR THE CABBAGE, MELT:
STIR IN:
WHISK:
FOR THE DUMPLINGS, WHISK:
COMBINE:
Test Kitchen Tips
Look for bone-in pork chops, known as Iowa chops. The bone helps them stay moist, and a thick chop is less likely to dry out during cooking.
Cake flour is milled from soft wheat, and has the least amount of gluten of any wheat flour. Cakes and pastries made with cake flour have a finer, more delicate texture than other baked goods.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°.
For the pork chops, heat oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high. Add chops, brown on both sides, then transfer to a plate.
For the cabbage, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in same skillet over low heat.
Stir in cabbage, onion, fennel bulb, cinnamon, kosher salt, and bay leaf.
Whisk together wine, ½ cup apple juice, brown sugar, and vinegar; add to cabbage. Bring mixture to a simmer over low heat. Place chops on top of cabbage, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare dumplings.
For the dumplings, whisk together flour, chives, baking powder, and table salt in a bowl. Cut cubed butter into flour mixture until pea-sized.
Combine applesauce, 2 Tbsp. apple juice, and egg in a bowl; stir into flour mixture with a fork, just until combined.
Transfer chops to a plate; keep warm in oven. Stir cherries into cabbage. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
Scoop dumpling batter onto simmering cabbage in 2 Tbsp. measures or with a #30 scoop; cover and steam until a toothpick inserted into dumpling centers comes out clean, 15–18 minutes.
Sear the chops first, to brown, then return them to the skillet on top of the cabbage and braise to cook.
For light, airy dumplings, mix the batter with a dinner fork just until combined to avoid overmixing.
For uniform dumplings that cook evenly, use a cookie scoop and quickly place on cabbage mixture.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 896
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 47%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 192mg 64%
Sodium 1183mg 49%
Carbs 94g 31%
Fiber 10g 40%
Protein 53g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.