Today Chef Jeff Jackson from Smith's is making crispy golden pork chops with buttery Honeycrisp apples and a concentrated apple-cider pan sauce with Dijon, thyme and a touch of cider vinegar.
Chef Jeff's Apple Cider Pork Chops
Pork Chops
4 boneless pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp neutral oil
Apples & Apple Cider Pan Sauce
1 large Honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Serving
Creamy mashed potatoes, optional
Directions
1. Prep the pork. Pat the pork chops very dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Lightly dredge in flour and shake off the excess. Let the coated chops rest 5-10 minutes so the flour hydrates and adheres.
2. Sear until crisp. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until deeply golden and crisp on both sides and the centers reach about 140°F, approximately 3-5 minutes per side depending on thickness. Transfer to a wire rack and let rest; carryover cooking will bring them toward 145°F. Do not cover.
3. Brown the apples. Pour off excess oil if needed. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the Honeycrisp wedges to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until golden on the edges but still holding their shape, about 3-4 minutes. Remove most of the apple wedges for serving, leaving 2-3 wedges in the skillet.
4. Start the sauce. Add the shallot and cook about 1 minute. Mash the reserved apple wedges into the shallot and pan drippings with a wooden spoon.
5. Build the apple-cider sauce. Add the apple cider, chicken broth, Dijon and thyme. Scrape up the browned bits from the skillet and simmer until reduced and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. The apple cider should remain the dominant flavor.
6. Finish the sauce. Stir in 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and taste, adding the second teaspoon if needed. Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon cold butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Plate and finish. Add mashed potatoes to the plate, if using, and position the crispy pork chop alongside or partly over them. Arrange the browned Honeycrisp wedges around the pork. Just before serving, spoon the finished apple-cider pan sauce over the top of the pork chop and garnish with fresh thyme.
Chef Jeff Tips
Rest the cooked pork on a wire rack instead of a plate. Air circulation keeps the bottom crust from steaming and becoming soggy.
Keep the pork on the wire rack until the last moment, then spoon the sauce over the top just before serving. This gives you the full apple-cider sauce flavor while preserving as much of the crisp crust as possible.
Mashing a few browned Honeycrisp wedges directly into the sauce adds real apple flavor and natural body without turning it into applesauce.
Use apple cider, not apple juice. Cider gives the pan sauce a fuller, more concentrated apple character.
Mashed potatoes are an optional serving shortcut. Refrigerated prepared mashed potatoes work perfectly for an easy weeknight presentation.
Find recipes at @mysmithsgrocery on Instagram and on smithsfoodanddrug.com
