Pork chops with apples and onions take 2

Pork chops take two. 

And sorry for the delay in posting - I attempted to do my yoga tape without the AC on and BOOM - got a migraine. 

Which is my own fault since I know one of the triggers for migraines (for me, at least) is getting over heated. Oh, yes, hubris you win again...

I went with a thick cut boneless pork chop for this attempt.

It was cooked 7 min on each side (on med- high heat)  but I ended up needing to cook it a bit more, so 8 - 9 per side (my boneless pork chops were about 1 1/2" thick). Take the pork chop out of the pan and let it rest.

Then I turned the pan down to low and added in the onions and apples. Slice them thick or it won't work. 


I cooked the onions and apples for about 9 minutes, turning them every 3 minutes or so.


I sliced a yukon gold potato into wedges and put it into the pan on medium heat. I turned the wedges as soon as they became brown on each side. 


The marinade adds a nice color to the pork chop and adds a nice bit of twang without taking away from the great mild taste of the pork.

Here is the recipe:


Pan Grilled pork chops with apples, onions and potatoes


Serves 1


Ingredients:

One 1 1/2" boneless pork chop
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 Tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of Mirin
ground black pepper to taste
a pinch of salt
1 yellow onion sliced thick
1 pink lady apple sliced thick
1 yukon gold potato, cut into wedges

Instructions:

Rinse the pork chop and dry with paper towels. Add 3/4 of a Tbsp. of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, mirin and salt and pepper into a resealable plastic bag and add in the pork chop. Roll the pork chop around until it is well coated in the marinade. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 1 - 2 hours would be best.

When you are ready to cook, take out the marinated pork chop (leaving it in the bag) and let it come up to room temperature. Put a cast iron skillet or grill pan on med- high heat, add in 1/4 Tbsp. of olive oil and place the pork chop in the pan for 8 -9 minutes (adjust for your pans heat). Flip the pork chop and let cook another 8 - 9 minutes. 

Pull the pork chop off the heat and set it aside to rest. Put the sliced onions and apple into the pan over low heat. Cook for about 9 minutes, turning them every 3 minutes or so. When they are nicely browned on each side, remove from the pan and set aside.


Turn the heat to medium and place the wedges of yukon gold potatoes into the pan. Let them cook for 10 - 12 minutes, turning them as they become brown. 


Plate everything and enjoy!





 

Success!

I made it to the Y and completed my workout - First day of new routine? Done and done.

While I was at the Y I did 30 minutes on the treadmill and then I hit the weights -


Biceps/Triceps

Skull crushers - superset with - bench dips

Rope pull downs

Dumbbell kickbacks

Straight bar curls

Concentration curls


I can already feel it in my arms - I will definitely be sore tomorrow. 

Since I am using the gym trips as a way of breaking up my day I have decided on a 5 day split for the weights with the 6th a cardio only day and the 7th being a rest day.

A split weight workout (if you are wondering) is just a way of working only 1-2 muscles groups a day and only working out each muscle group once a week. 


I find that schedule the easiest to follow when starting back into weights.


And then I treated myself to a no-cook lunch:

 I just emptied the bag into a bowl and popped it into the microwave.

I had a side of sliced beets (straight out of the can) and an apple.

I was wondering how everyone else handles their diet if they are trying to gain muscle.

Is it really necessary to do all that 6 meals a day and buckets of protein approach? 

What do you eat when you are trying to gain muscle (or just including weight lifting into your exercise routine?)?