Pork Chops and Apples

Pork Chops and Apples
These savory Pork Chops and Apples are a delicious entree from Ayesha Curry’s, The Seasoned Life cookbook.

Pork Chops and Apples
Author: 
 
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 apples (preferably Pink Lady), cored and sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Put a rimmed baking sheet in the oven.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Season the pork chops on both sides with the spice mix.
  3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops (in batches, if necessary) on both sides until golden brown on the outside and still a little pink in the center, about 3 minutes per side.
  4. Turn off the oven, and transfer the pork chops to the warmed baking sheet in the oven. Cook the remaining two chops, and transfer them to the oven when finished.
  5. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the apples, and season with the cinnamon. Cook, stirring often, until the apples soften and caramelize around the edges, about 10 minutes, adding the syrup halfway through cooking.
  6. To serve, transfer the apples to a platter, and put the pork chops on top. Or, if the pan is big enough, add the chops back to the pan to coat in the sauce.
Notes
I always serve these pork chops with the Best Mac and Cheese ( the recipe is available on page 166 of The Seasoned Life). Always. It just makes sense to go all out Southern with this one. I buy thin-cut pork chops because thick-cut ones require much more time to heat up near the bone. This lets me cook the apples in the same pan so they can caramelize beautifully in the pork juices. If bone-in chops are not available, use boneless chops—you might be able to shave a minute or so off the cooking time.

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