Pork Chops with Apples

One of my favorite food combinations is pork and apples. During Austin Restaurant Week, I tried Perry's Steakhouse's famous pork chop and apple sauce and it totally changed my perspective on pork chops. An apple butter smothered pork loin made into the regular rotation last year and when I saw this recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks, I knew I had to try it! I made it a couple weeks ago with some very positive feedback from David and my taste buds. This can get a little pricey if you go for the real maple syrup like I did, but I thought it was worth the investment.

So when I mentioned that I was thinking about making it for dinner on Monday, it quickly went from a dinner for two to a dinner for six. Thankfully, it's really simple to adjust to different quantities. And the recipe itself is easy- the most time consuming part was chopping up the apples and making my side dishes. The sauce for this dish is such a perfect combination of savory and sweet and it was perfect for keeping leftovers flavorful and moist. 

Ten points to anyone who knows which HIMYM character hated the word moist! 

Ingredients

• 6 whole Boneless Pork Chops, About 1/2-inch Thick
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 whole Gala Apples, Diced (or more, if you love apples like I do)
• 1/2 cup Dry White Wine (or substitute diluted white vinegar, or chicken broth)
• 2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3/4 cups Pure Maple Syrup ( or a little less if you want a more savory taste)
• salt and pepper

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter and heat until butter in melted.

Salt and pepper both sides of pork chops. Brown them on both sides until nice and golden. Remove pork chops from the skillet and set on a separate plate. Don't overcook them here- you're just getting a nice color on them for now.

Reduce heat to medium. Add apples and stir to combine them with the oil and butter that remains in the pan. Pour in wine and vinegar, then whisk along the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour in the maple syrup, then add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir, then return pork chops to the pan- be sure to get all the juices from the plate too! Cover the pan and simmer on med-low for 20 minutes. At this point the chops will finish cooking through and the apples will soften.

Serve pork chops and spoon the apple-maple sauce over the top, allowing the liquid pool around them.

 I served mine with loaded mashed potatoes, crispy green beans, mushrooms and garlic bread. This is a meal sure to impress, whether you're hosting a dinner party or... watching The Cowboys like us...

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman