Description
Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Onions combines juicy, flavorful pork with sweet apples and onions, and a rich and tangy pan sauce for an easy fall meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Brine:
- 2 bone-in, center cut pork chops (about ¾ inch thick)
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1 cup cold water
- 3 tbsp kosher salt (2 tbsp fine salt)
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
The rest:
- 1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- ½ medium onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
- ½ tart apple, sliced ¼ inch thick (granny smith, honeycrisp or pink lady)
- 1 tsp light brown sugar, packed (optional)
- ½ cup low sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup apple cider
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Brine the chops: Add 1 cup of apple cider along with kosher salt and brown sugar to a small saucepot. Warm over medium heat and stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. Add remaining 1 cup of cold apple cider and cup of cold water to mixture. Once cooled, place pork chops in a container and cover with the brine. Brine overnight for up to 24 hours, or at least 4-6 hours.
- Season chops: Remove pork chops from brine and hold at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking. Pat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. The longer the pork chops brine, the less salt they need.
- Sear chops: Heat a medium-sized pan over medium high heat. Add oil to pan, followed by pork chops. Sear 2-3 minutes per side or until well-browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Cook onions: Reduce heat to medium to medium-low. Add one tablespoon of butter and onions to pan. Season with salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and translucent, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside with chops.
- Cook apples: Add apples to pan and season with brown sugar, if desired, and salt. Cook until beginning to soften but still with a bite, 3-4 minutes.
- Cook sauce: Add pork chops and onion back to pan. Pour in stock and cider. Increase heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping pork chops half way through, or until sauce is thickened and pork chops are fully cooked.
- Finish sauce: Remove pork from pan and cover to keep warm. Add remaining tablespoon of butter to sauce. Stir vigorously to emulsify butter into sauce. Taste for seasoning.
- Serve: Serve sauce over pork chops. This dish pairs well with mashed potatoes or cheesy polenta. I would also serve a salad on the side. Enjoy.
Notes
- Cooking time varies depending on the thickness of your pork. If you use thinner, boneless pork chops, they will cook much faster. I cook my pork to approximately 140°F.
- If using sweeter apples, feel free to leave out the sugar while cooking them.
- Simply double or triple the recipe to serve more people. Just keep in mind, you may have to spend time reducing the sauce before adding the butter in order to achieve the same thick, consistency.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or polenta. Pair with your favorite fall salad.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Saute, braise
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pork chop with apples and onions
- Calories: 670
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 1350mg
- Fat: 42g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 26g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 55g
- Cholesterol: 200mg
