Rosemary Apple Infused Pork Chops

This recipe makes as many as you wish to prepare.

Directions:

1. Trim all excess fat from the pork chops.  If using thick-cut chops, slice them lengthwise to make them no more than ½ inch thick for even drying and easy rehydration.  Remove all bones if present.
2. In a bowl or dish, lay down fresh rosemary sprigs as a base.
3. Place the pork chops on top of the rosemary.
4. Spread several tablespoons of minced garlic evenly over the chops.
5. Pour in apple juice, followed by enough broth to fully submerge the pork chops.
6. Marinate the pork chops for several hours in the refrigerator.  Alternatively, if you have a vacuum chamber, use the marinade function to infuse flavors quickly.
7. Prepare your sous vide and allow it to get to  140°F.  Transfer the pork chops and marinade into a sous vide bag and seal it.  Cook at 140°F for 2 hours.
8. Alternatively, you can use the slow cooker.  Remove all items from the marinade and place them into the slow cooker.  Cook until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 140°F.
9. Add parchment paper to your trays.  Place the pork chops on the trays.  The liquid can be transferred to silicone molds and freeze dried along with the pork chops.
10. Pre-freeze. 
11. Pop the marinade out of the silicone molds and place on a tray.  Freeze dry (my cycle time was 33 hours).
12. Store in mylar bags for long-term storage.

Rehydration:

Mix the freeze dried marinade cubes with a splash of the additional apple juice and a little water, until you get a marinade consistency.  Rehydrate the pork chops in this marinade either in a pan for 6-8 minutes or in a vacuum sealer again.

Once pork chops are rehydrated, you can pan finish or grill finish with oil or butter on each side for a crisp exterior.

Notes:

Try to use low sugar, or no additional sugar, apple juice.  The added sugars can cause problems when freeze drying.  

Since the pork chops were already cooked in the sous vide, they cook up very quickly after rehydrating.  This makes them a great , high protein option when you are in a hurry for supper.

Nutritional Value Per 8 oz pork chop

Calories: 365   Protein: 48 g   Fat: 15 g   Carbohydrates: 3 g   Sugar: 1 g   Fiber: 0 g

Cycle times & rehydration for reference only. Your results may vary.