My dad showed me how fun it could it could be to challenge yourself in the kitchen, that to cook was to create and express (not just to eat). A dish that quickly became one of his classics was grilled pork chops with a sweet apple and onion reduction. He would pair it with dirty rice and sweet tea (we are from the South, so sweet tea is a staple). I swear we had that dish once a week for much of my childhood…So naturally, when it came time to think of recipes to develop for Hestan Cue, this recipe immediately came to mind.
My dad never wrote down his recipe, but after watching him make it for so many years, it was ingrained in my memory. I took these memories as a foundation, and tweaked the recipe just a little bit until it was my own. I julienned the apples instead of using large slices, replaced yellow onion with red, and added some red wine vinegar to balance the sweetness.
The best part of developing this recipe for Hestan Cue was to get my dad to make it on our connected cooking system! At first he was skeptical – it was his recipe after all, and how could a machine improve upon his years of practice? Though he has never been one to follow recipes, he quickly got the hang of the seamless guidance of our app and by following the system’s instructions, he learned a thing or two!
Cooking with family, whether it’s your parents, spouse, or children, is a fun opportunity to bond and spend time together. Food was at the center of my family’s world (which is probably why I became a chef) and I feel that it played a big part in how close my family is. We always cooked together, ate dinner together, and then sat around the dinner table talking about our days. I hope you will get to spend some quality time around the kitchen table with your dad this Father’s Day, and no matter your skill level (or your Dad’s) Hestan Cue is here to help make it a memorable one!"
- Chef Lorin Peters
