This meal was very similar to this one, with brined pork and a butternut squash risotto. Instead of doing a brine I made a dry rub with salt and brown sugar. It had pretty much the same effect and resulted in perfectly juicy meat.

Including apples in the meal was a given - apples and pork go so well together. I had some parsnips in the fridge so I decided to include them too. The risotto was ok. I'm not sure I'm a risotto fan. I think it would have been so much better if I had just made some rice or israeli couscous, then roasted the parsnips and apples with a rosemary balsamic dressing.

1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary, slightly crushed
2 boneless pork chops

Combine the salt, sugar, rosemary, and pepper. Rub generously on both sides of the pork. Place in a plastic bag or container and refrigerate for a few hours.

When ready to cook, heat a little olive oil in a heavy skillet (I used my new cast-iron). Wipe the pork off with a paper towel. When the skillet is very hot, add the meat and cook on each side for about 3 minutes. If they need further cooking, finish in a 350°F oven until internal temp is 150°F.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
black pepper
2 cups chicken broth, hot
salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add parsnip, apple, rice, rosemary, and pepper. Cook and stir until rice starts to turn translucent.

Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, simmering until liquid is absorbed before adding more, stirring constantly. Total cooking time should be about 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt as necessary.