Give Me Five: Pork with apple and red cabbage slaw

We’ve come to the end of our gorgeous red apples. We have a few different apple trees; all different varieties with staggered cropping times. But there’s one tree that outshines them all and has our neighbours inquiring if the apples are ready for picking and whether we need to “get rid of some”.

All hail the Beauty of Bath. This apple is best eaten straight after being picked from the tree, because it bruises easily and doesn’t store well. It isn’t grown commercially as it’s not the most practical, but it’s a lovely garden variety. The flesh is mostly white inside but with an attractive red flush. It tastes sharp at first but finishes with a fruity sweetness.

It’s a heavy cropper: the branches get weighed down with the pretty, red fruit, which drops to the ground before fully ripe. Traditionally, straw is spread around the base of the tree to prevent the precious apples from bruising. We have spotted hedgehogs snuffling around the tree trunk looking for this early-dropping fruit.

The other trees are mostly hardier russet varieties that store a little better and will be ready for picking in a few weeks. These have a thick skin but not the same delicate freshness as the red. They are still fantastic compared with chemical-laden apples flown halfway around the world and kept in cold storage.

Pork is a natural partner for apple. Pork chops come in perfect portion sizes. Coming from a large family, we seldom had cuts of meat that came in portion size. You never knew when someone’s friend would stay over for dinner or if visitors would call just as we sat down to eat. Without anyone noticing, my mother often calmly served 14 people for dinner when the table was set for only 10. Portion control is a skill in itself.

Cuts such as pork chops are not conducive to a loaves- and-fishes style dinner. I seldom buy chops but find them very convenient when I do. They cook quickly and are extremely versatile. For added texture you can dip the chops in beaten egg and breadcrumbs before frying. This gives a crunchy coasting that is delicious with the slaw.

For this recipe I boil and cool the potatoes and then fry them. Leftover cooked potatoes are perfect for this. Just cook twice the amount you need, then slice and fry them the following day for delicious, crispy slices. Simply boiled potatoes are ideal too.

To add some pep to the slaw, add half a teaspoon of Dijon or wholegrain mustard. For some fiery freshness, add a little horseradish sauce. A squeeze of lemon juice also lifts the flavours. You can add most root vegetables to a slaw-style salad such as this. It’s a fantastic way to include more raw vegetables into your diet, especially at this time of year. Celeriac, beetroot and even parsnip can be used.

Carrots and white cabbage are the more traditional ingredients and they give that perfect crunch. A handful of toasted nuts adds great texture and toasty flavour, so pair some walnuts with the apple slaw or pecans with a pear-based slaw. Natural yogurt or crème fraîche can be used with or instead of mayonnaise for a twist.

PORK WITH APPLE AND SLAW: SERVES 4

The five ingredients

• 4 pork chops
• 6 potatoes
• 1/8 head of red cabbage
• 2 eating apples
• 2tbs mayonnaise

From the pantry

• Sea salt

Method

Scrub the potatoes and boil in plenty of water until almost cooked. Drain and set aside to cool.

Thinly slice the red cabbage and place in a medium bowl. Cut the apple into matchsticks and add to the cabbage, along with the mayonnaise. Mix well, then set aside.

Meanwhile fry the pork chops in a little olive oil for two to three minutes each side depending on thickness, until piping hot and cooked through. Keep warm and leave to rest.

Add a little more olive oil to the frying pan and thickly slice the potatoes. Fry until crispy, then place on kitchen paper and scatter with sea salt.

Serve the pork chops with the crispy potatoes and slaw.

• Every Thursday, we'll tweet the five ingredients from @lillyhiggins and @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes