Pork and apples is a classic combination. In this recipe, I combined quick and easy pork chops with a sweet and spicy apple jus. This dish goes very well with braised red cabbage.

  • Yields: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 30 minutes
  • Active: 30 minutes

Ingredients (10)

  • 4 boneless center-cut pork chops
  • 2 slices smoked bacon, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • cayenne pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • small pat butter

Instructions

  1. Season the pork chops to taste with salt and pepper. Saute pork chops in olive oil over medium heat until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F. Carryover cooking should take them to the safe internal temperature of 160°F. Remove the chops from the pan and set aside to rest wrapped in aluminum foil.
  2. Add bacon and onions to the oil already in the pan and saute until the onions are translucent and the fat on the bacon has fully rendered. Do not allow the bacon to burn. Strain the pan drippings into a measuring cup and reserve. Discard the bacon and onions.
  3. Add 3 tablespoons of the pan drippings back to the pan and deglaze with apple juice and vinegar. Allow the jus to reduce by about half, then add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
  4. Move the pork chops to a serving dish or plates. Take the juice that accumulates in the foil from the pork chops and add it to the jus, Put in the small pat of butter and swirl the pan off the heat to melt the butter into the jus and add a slight glossy sheen to the sauce. Serve the jus with the pork chops.