Paynes' Pork Packets

In the eternal quest for new and interesting recipes I have drafted a new guest chef: my younger sister, Deb Payne, who's been visiting recently. She's lived in Kentucky since 1970, so you might say our recipe collections are a bit different (although we still share a number of family favorites).

Deb's the one on the left

So we were sitting around the kitchen trying to figure out what we had in the fridge and what to do with it, and she proposed Pork Packets. These were new to me, but she swore they were easy to make and (better yet) easy to clean up. Bingo!

Payne's Pork Packets

We made two, with nice thick boneless pork chops, but you can simply multiply the ingredients if you want more.

Ingredients

4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick (more or less)
mustard sauce for chops:
     1 Tblsp whole-grain mustard
     2 Tblsp Grey Poupon mustard
     Mix together and slather over the pork chops. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2 lbs. small potatoes (feel free to substitute sliced or quartered potatoes)
mustard sauce for potatoes:
     1 Tblsp whole-grain mustard
     2 tblsp Grey Poupon mustard
     1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, in 1/2-inch slices
1 medium-size apple (these came from my Northern Spy tree in the front yard, harvested last fall. They've held up well in the fridge. Before you get worried, this is the way the skins are supposed to look--they are perfectly sound inside.) They hold up well in cooking too.
Sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with heavy duty foil (no dishes!)

Tear off pieces of foil large enough to wrap each pork chop (plus other ingredients) generously.

Place one slice of onion in the center of the foil. Place the chop (coated with sauce) on top of the onion. Place two slices of apples (cored and/or peeled as you wish).

Wrap the bundles tightly, sealing all edges (make sure the folds point up so they don't leak). (Do not puncture.)

Place the bundles in the foil-lined pan.

Wash the potatoes, drain, and place in pan around the bundles. Chop whatever onion remains and scatter over the potatoes. Pour the sauce over the potatoes. Add salt and pepper.

Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until both meat and potatoes are fully cooked (use a meat thermometer if you're worried).

You may add a vegetable as a side dish if you want.

You could substitute a boneless chicken breast for the pork chop.

My comments? A nice combination of flavors, easy to assemble and quick to clean up after. Voila!

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