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Apple Smothered Pork Chops Recipe

By Amber Holzman

For this festive fall comfort dish, the bigger the pork chop the better. While apples and pork take center stage, a supporting cast of pantry ingredients add surprising depth to this classic pairing. The resulting sauce can easily be modified to your preference, whether it be sweeter or savory. Our test kitchen of family and friends love this recipe as written. Ready in under an hour, this one-pan wonder is sure to please both the cook and the kitchen sink.

Serves: 2

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 (1-1½ -inch-thick) bone-in pork chops

salt

cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2½ tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and sliced into ¼ inch pieces

 

Recipe

Step 1: Season pork chops with salt and pepper and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare sauce mixture. In a small bowl, whisk together the dijon, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon and water. Prepare apple by coring and slicing lengthwise into ¼-inch pieces.

Step 3: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Thoroughly pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and add to the pan. Sear for 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness, turning every 2 minutes until an internal temperature of 135 F is reached. If present, sear fat caps till crisp. Remove chops from pan and reduce heat to medium-low.

Step 4: Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and add the butter to the pan. Add apple slices in a single layer, fitting as many as you can without overlapping. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add sauce mixture to pan. Simmer for 3-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Turn off heat. Return pork chops to pan with any remaining juices and flip to coat.

NOTES: 

Chop Thoughts:

Bringing your chops to room temperature prior to searing helps promote even cooking. Other safeguards against overcooking include brining your chops in advance or dredging in flour just prior to searing.

 

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