Pork Chops with Apples
These one-skillet bone-in pork chops with apples, sage, cinnamon, and maple syrup are full of Fall flavor and so easy to make!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Brine the pork chops (optional)
- 4 bone-in center cut pork chops
- 2 tablespoons Diamond crystal kosher salt see notes below
Remaining ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 1 large onion sliced
- 4 medium Granny Smith apples cored and sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Brine the pork chops
- Place the chops in a baking dish and sprinkle with the kosher salt on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. Be sure to flip the chops at the halfway point.
Sear the chops and make the sauce
- Dry the pork chops very well with paper towels and season with black pepper to taste on both sides. Note: If forgoing the brine, season the chops with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil. Sear the chops on both sides until well browned (about 3-4 minutes per side) then place the chops on a plate lightly tented with foil.
- Add the butter to the pan along with the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until both the onions and apples are softened.
- Add the flour and cook until no longer white, stirring frequently (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the chicken stock while whisking to incorporate and turn the heat to high. Boil for 2 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and mix in the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, cinnamon, and sage. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the chops to the pan and cook at a low simmer, partially covered, until they reach an internal temperature of 140f (about 5 minutes) then remove the pan from the heat and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Bone-in center-cut pork chops are recommended.
- Dry brining is optional but recommended for at least 6 hours but ideally overnight. Do not brine chops that are sold in a sodium solution.
- Brine at a 1-1.25% ratio of salt to weight for a delicious but not overly salty pork chop. 4 pounds of pork chops weigh 1816 grams so it needs 18-23 grams of salt which equals roughly 3-3 1/2 teaspoons of table salt. When using kosher salt you will need to use more volume because a tablespoon of kosher salt weighs less than table salt. See below.
- 1 Tablespoon of Table salt = ~19 grams
- 1 Tablespoon Morton kosher salt = ~15 grams
- 1 Tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt = ~10 grams
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the oven or stovetop until warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 903kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.4g | Protein: 68.1g | Fat: 50.9g | Saturated Fat: 16.5g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 6.8g | Sugar: 27.5g | Iron: 4mg