Pan Seared Pork Chops With Apples And Cinnamon

Pork chops and apples is one of those dishes that pops into my mind every fall.  Love It!  I make it a little different each time, but this is the core pan seared pork chops and and apples recipe that I use.  Let’s make it!

I Know You’re Thinking…

“Pork Chops are always difficult to make”

“They always come out dry”

Not with this recipe!

A lot of old recipes for pan seared pork chops, or really any type of pork chop recipes, have one thing in common:

Overcooking the chops.  Easily avoidable with an Inexpensive Instant Read Thermometer.

The chops really only need to be 145f – At that temp they will be perfect every time.

Ingredients For Pan Seared Pork Chops With Apples And Cinnamon:

1. 4 center cut bone-in pork chops – If you have access to really good quality chops such as Berkshire Pork  by all means, buy them!  The finished product will only be better.  For this recipe I used regular pork chops from my local supermarket.
2. 4 Granny Smith Apples – Basically one apple per pork chop.  If you like more or less apples feel free to change it.
3. 1 large onion – Any type of onion is fine.
4. 1 cup low sodium beef stock – I prefer to use beef base and mix up what I need but any good quality low sodium beef stock is fine.
5. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar – I used red wine vinegar but cider vinegar would work equally well.
6. 2 tsp Dijon mustard – Any type is fine.
7. 1 Tbsp of chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish
8. olive oil 
9. unsalted butter
10. salt and pepper

Pan Seared Pork Chops Step By Step:

1. Picture of the apples, onion, sage, and cinnamon stick.
2. Chop the onions and sage.

3. 3.  Slice apples.  I used an apple slicing tool but a knife works fine.
   4.  Season the pork chops with a good amount of kosher salt and pepper on each side.  About 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of pepper per chop.  It’s real important to salt them before the pan searing process.
   5. Pan sear the chops on medium high heat for 1 minute per side in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.   Remove chops and set aside.
   6. In the same pan saute the onions on medium heat for 5 minutes.

7. Add the apples, cinnamon stick, and 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan.  Saute the apples for 5-7 minutes on medium heat to caramelize them.  Remove apples from the pan.
8. Add the Dijon mustard, beef stock, chopped sage, and red wine vinegar to the pan and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
9. Turn heat to medium and add 2 more Tablespoons of butter to the pan to make the sauce.  Stir with a whisk to incorporate the flavors.  Heavy cream or cornstarch could be used instead if a thicker sauce is desired.  Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper.  Depending on the sodium content of the beef stock, some salt might still be needed.
10. Add the chops back to the pan and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.  This should take 5-10 minutes.  Spoon the sauce over the chops as they cook.
11. When finished add the apples on top of the chops and serve.  Enjoy!

That’s all there is to it.  I think you will love this classic pork chops with Granny Smith apples recipe.

You Probably Have Some Questions:

How To Season Pork Chops:

Pork chops need a lot of salt, probably more than you think.  They are excellent brined, but that takes a little bit of planning ahead.

My best advice is to salt the chops aggressively and don’t pan sear them cold.  Salt them and let them sit for 45 minutes to an hour before cooking.  Add a nice amount of black pepper to each side as well!

Can Boneless Pork Chops Be Used?

Yes.  Bone in center cut chops will be better, but I have made this dish successfully with boneless chops.

Can The Pork Chops Be Pan Seared In Cast Iron?

Absolutely!  If you have a big cast iron pan definitely use it – you will get a better sear on the pork chops than in the pan I used.  I love cast iron and always use it when possible.  This Reverse Seared Ribeye Steak Recipe of ours relies on the qualities of cast iron.

How To Finish Pan Seared Pork Chops In Oven:

After making the sauce place the seared pork chops back in the pan and in the oven for 10 minutes on 350f.  This should be the perfect amount of time, but again use the instant read thermometer to ensure they are cooked properly.

Difficulty Level:

On a 1-5 scale with 1 being easy this recipe is a 2.  Only issue I see is not salting the pork prior to cooking.  It’s the critical step in the dish.

Obviously You Need Side Dishes: 

• Easy Green Beans Almondine
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes
• Italian Vegetables With Lemon Caper Sauce
• Italian Roasted Peppers

Fall Specific Cocktails:

• Apple Cider Cocktail
• White Wine Sangria

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?

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Pan Seared Pork Chops With Apples And Cinnamon

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Servings: 4

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 4 medium Granny Smith apples
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup low sodium beef stock
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

• Remove pork chops from fridge and season with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of black pepper per chop.  Set chops aside and let them warm up.
• Chop the apples into wedges with a knife or apple cutting tool.  Chop sage and onion coarsely. 
• Heat pan on medium high heat with 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel and sear in pan for 1 minute per side.  Remove and set aside.
• In same pan turn heat to medium and saute onion for 5 minutes to soften.  Next add 2 Tbsp of butter, the apples and cinnamon stick and saute for 5-7 minutes more to caramelize them.  Remove apples from pan and set aside.
• In same pan add beef stock, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sage. and scrape pan with wooden spoon to remove flavor at the bottom.  Turn heat to high and boil for 2 minutes.  
• Turn heat down to medium and add remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and whisk sauce together.  Taste the sauce now and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Add the pork chops back into the pan and spoon the sauce over them. Cook the chops in the sauce on medium uncovered to an internal temp of 145f. Should take roughly 5-10 minutes for the chops to be cooked through.
• When the pork chops are done add the apples on top and stir it all together.  Plate and enjoy!

Notes

Bone-in pork chops will be juicier but boneless can be used.

Make sure to salt the pork chops prior to cooking and let the chops warm up a little bit after removing from fridge.

Any type of apples are fine.

The sauce can be thickened with 1/4 cup of heavy cream or cornstarch if desired.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 19.5g | Fat: 39g | Sodium: 600mg

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