Granny Smith

• The Granny Smith is one of the most widely used apples for baking. Its flesh is dense and crisp, and it holds its shape well when cooked or baked. It can be peeled before using, or the brightly green peels left on for a vivid color in the finished dish. Granny Smiths are very tart, though baking does sweeten them somewhat. Because they are less sweet than most other baking apples, Granny Smiths are a good choice for recipes that call for a sweetener such as brown sugar with the pork chops.

Golden Delicious

• The Golden Delicious is a relatively thin-skinned apple, with dense, sweet flesh. It has a pleasantly pear-like note to its aroma that complements pork nicely. Although Golden Delicious are not as firm as Granny Smiths, they also hold their shape well in cooking and baking. Where the Granny Smith is extra tart, the Golden Delicious is extra sweet, and a good choice for recipes that use acidic ingredients such as apple cider or cider vinegar. Golden Delicious is sweet enough to caramelize well, bringing additional flavors to the finished dish.

Macintosh, Empire and Cortland

• The Macintosh is an apple that usually has sweetness and acidity in good balance, making it an excellent choice for cooking. Its flesh is softer than most other apples, and it has a mealy texture that can be unpleasant when eating them raw. Macintosh does not hold its shape well when baked, but makes a flavorful applesauce. Two Macintosh derivatives, Empire and Cortland, have firmer flesh and are better suited to baking in pies or with pork chops. They will hold their shape, though not as long as a Granny Smith.

Red Rome

• Red Rome apples have been grown in America since the early nineteenth century. They are a beautiful apple, perfectly round with a dark red skin. Their flavor when raw is tart and undistinguished, but when baked their flavor is excellent and their flesh develops an attractive pink blush. They are less tart when baked, but can still be used in recipes where the pork will have some sweetness added. Rome apples will hold their shape nicely when baked.