Boxing Match: Altius

Photography by Dave Bryce. Styling by Rafael Vencio. Handmade skillet from Blanc Creatives.

Chef Jessica Gibson of Altius and her team masterfully layer fall flavors in a deeply delectable Boxing Match entry. Local apples, herbs, cider, and meats all come into play.

Ingredients

Apple Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Apple Sausage Hash and Honey-Whipped Rodeo Chèvre

Pork Chops

1 cup flor blanca sea salt

¾ cup sugar

1 cup Franklin Farms maple syrup

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

Fresh thyme sprigs

Fresh rosemary sprigs

2 tbsp whole black peppercorns

8 garlic cloves, smashed

8 cups filtered water

4 Spring Run Farm bone-in pork chops

Bring all brine ingredients to a boil in a non-reactive pan and cool down instantly until it reaches 38 degrees. Submerge pork chops in the brine and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Remove pork from brine and pat dry.

Honey-Whipped Chèvre

3 tbsp Hackenberg Apiaries raw wildflower honey

1 cup Goat Rodeo chèvre cheese

1 tsp fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tbsp heavy cream

In a food processor, whip all ingredients and slowly add heavy cream until light and airy. Refrigerate for a couple hours.

Apple Sausage Hash

½ lb Spring Run Farm ground pork country sausage

3 cups wild-foraged maitake mushrooms, bottom removed, rinsed and patted dry

1 cup sliced red onion

1 lb Franklin Farms organic fingerling sweet potatoes, simmered until tender, cooled and sliced

½ cup Schlegel Farms apple cider

1 cup Harvest Hills Honeycrisp apples, core removed, medium-diced

3 tbsp fresh sweet butter

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp chopped rosemary

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat a large sauté pan or round Dutch oven and add sausage on medium-high heat. Continue to brown until cooked through. Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the fat in. Add the mushrooms and onions and continue to cook until caramelized. Add the potatoes and apple cider. Reduce liquid for a couple minutes. Remove from heat and add apples, butter, herbs and season. Set aside.

Pork chops can be pan-seared, oven-roasted, or grilled, depending on preference. Cook until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Let pork rest on top of hash for ten minutes. Serve with a generous dollop of whipped chèvre and enjoy! Chef recommends serving alongside roasted Brussels sprouts topped with chopped Marcona almonds, too.

altiuspgh.com