Name: The Best Pork Chops with Apples
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 (about 10 oz each) bone-in pork rib chops, 1.25-inch thick; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 4 tbsp, divided unsalted butter; 2 large firm-tart apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges; 2 large shallots, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, smashed; 4 fresh thyme sprigs; 3/4 cup apple cider; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp honey; for finishing flaky sea salt

The Best Pork Chops with Apples

Prep

10m

Cook

25m

Total

35m

Bigly says

Let me tell you something. Pork chops have been done DIRTY for decades in this country. Decades! There's a whole generation of people — good people, smart people, people who otherwise live decent lives — who think pork chops are supposed to be DRY. They grew up on the gray pork chop. The chop that cracks when you cut it. The chop you had to chew with both sides of your mouth. A national tragedy. A multi-generational injustice against pig. I'm here to FIX this. Today. Right now.

Scientists — and I've talked to scientists, real meat scientists, people with PhDs and probe thermometers — they all agree on this: pork is safe at 145°F. ONE FORTY FIVE. Not 165. Not 'when the juices run clear,' which is the most uselessly vague instruction ever written. 145, a quick rest, you're done. The chop is JUICY. The chop is PINK in the middle. The chop is the way God and the pig intended. Anyone who tells you to cook a pork chop to 160 is repeating bad information from 1978. They mean well. They are still wrong. End of discussion.

The apples are the move. Pork and apples is one of the oldest pairings in cooking — the Vikings had a version of this, the medieval people had it, the colonial Americans had it, the French refined it, everyone agrees. Sweet apple, sharp vinegar, big shallots, fresh thyme, a knob of butter to finish. You sear the chop, you rest the chop, you build the pan sauce in the same skillet — those brown bits at the bottom of the pan are GOLD, do not throw them away, deglaze them, every cookbook says to and they're right for once. Twenty-five minutes, start to finish. Faster than the takeout would arrive. Better than the takeout is even allowed to be. Game over.

Ingredients

4 (about 10 oz each)bone-in pork rib chops, 1.25-inch thick(ask the butcher to cut them thick — thin chops are a betrayal)
2 tspkosher salt
1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
2 tbspneutral oil
4 tbsp, dividedunsalted butter
2 largefirm-tart apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), cored and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
2large shallots, sliced
3garlic cloves, smashed
4fresh thyme sprigs
3/4 cupapple cider(the unfiltered cloudy kind, not the clear juice)
2 tbspapple cider vinegar
1 tbspDijon mustard
1 tsphoney(balances the vinegar — do not skip)
for finishingflaky sea salt

Steps

1
Pat the pork chops very dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium-high heat until shimmering.
3
Add the pork chops, holding the edge against the pan with tongs to render any fat strip first, then lay flat. Sear undisturbed 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden.
4
Add 2 tablespoons butter, the thyme sprigs, and smashed garlic to the pan. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the chops for 1 minute.
5
Transfer the chops to a plate and tent loosely with foil. The internal temperature should read 140°F (60°C) — it will climb to 145°F as they rest.
6
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the apples and shallots. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring, until the shallots soften and the apples pick up color on the edges.
7
Pour in the apple cider and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
8
Simmer 3-4 minutes until the liquid reduces by half and the apples are tender but still hold their shape.
9
Remove from heat. Whisk in the mustard, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter until the sauce is glossy.
10
Return the chops and any resting juices to the skillet, spooning sauce and apples over the top. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.

One more thing

Serve these chops with mashed potatoes, or buttered noodles, or a heap of bitter greens — anything that wants to soak up the pan sauce. The sauce is the prize. The chop is the vehicle. People are going to ask for the recipe. You can tell them, or you can keep it close and let them wonder. Your call. Save me a piece.