Okay, I’m calling it. These Apple Butter Pork Chops would possibly simply be the recipe you retain on repeat this fall season. Thick-cut pork chops are rubbed with a spiced brown sugar combine, seared till caramelized and juicy, then served with a wealthy apple butter sauce with onions and collard greens. Not solely will the flavors on this dish enable you to rejoice autumn, nevertheless it’ll additionally depart your loved ones full and tempted to lick the skillet. These apple pork chops are a taste bomb with spicy, candy, and savory notes, so when you desire bland meals, this one’s not for you! 😉
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Cozy Apple Butter Pork Chops
Every time I make a hearty, meaty dish for the weblog, I all the time carry some to our neighbors, Jay and Celeste, to style take a look at it for me! They elevate their very own beef, and Celeste as soon as ran a profitable catering enterprise for a few years, so I do know they’ll all the time be trustworthy with me! And these spicy, flavorful pork chops had been a WINNER! Melissa, Jennie, and Rebecca raved about it within the studio, too, so I’m additional excited to share it with you!
Between the brown sugar rub made with cozy spices like clove, cinnamon, cayenne, and garlic powder, and the apple butter sauce with collards, onions, and tart inexperienced apple, this dish brings critical taste. It’s like a fall model of our summer season peach pork chops, and I’m all for including a seasonal spin to my household’s meal rotation!
- Use a big skillet! You’ll need sufficient area for the pork chops to sear correctly and for the onions, greens, and sauce to simmer with out crowding.
- Prepare dinner these apple pork chops till they register at 145°F on a meat thermometer. I exploit thick-cut pork chops on this recipe. Bone-in chops will take a bit longer to prepare dinner than boneless cuts. Additionally, thinner cuts will prepare dinner faster, so keep watch over doneness.
- Use a spoon to peel your ginger! Belief me, it’s fast, straightforward, and manner higher at getting across the difficult bumps than a peeler or knife.
- Need to use a special meat? I wager boneless, skinless hen thighs would work nice right here, similar to I exploit in my braised hen and peaches recipe! Observe the recipe as written, however swap the pork for hen thighs and prepare dinner till the interior temperature reaches 165°F.
Apple Butter Pork Chops
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Collect your elements.
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Make the rub by combining brown sugar, cayenne, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, floor clove, cinnamon, and dried thyme.
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Rub pork chops with rub combination and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20-30 min. Reserve any additional rub combination for step 8!
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Whereas the pork chops relaxation, put together recent elements: peel and slice inexperienced apple, peel and grate recent ginger, mince garlic cloves, and julienne onion.
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Warmth vegetable oil in a big skillet over medium-high warmth. As soon as shimmering, add pork and prepare dinner 5-6 min on either side till inner temp reaches not less than 145°F. Take away pork chops and put aside, lined.
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Add onions to the new skillet and prepare dinner till softened, about 4 minutes, stirring typically and scraping up little bits on the underside of the skillet.
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Add apples, garlic, ginger, and collard greens. Prepare dinner till apples have softened, about 5 min, stirring the entire elements collectively as they prepare dinner.
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Add apple butter, any leftover rub combination from the pork chops, and hen broth. Stir collectively and simmer till barely lowered, about 8 minutes.
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Add the pork chops again, spooning the sauce over the tops of every earlier than serving sizzling.
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**I extremely advocate utilizing a inexperienced apple (reminiscent of Granny Smith) on this dish. It provides a tart chew that balances the sweetness of the apple butter and brown sugar completely. That mentioned, you should utilize one other sort of apple if that’s what you might have readily available.
***We use bouillon to maintain our broth prices low. We desire Higher Than Bouillon model right here at Price range Bytes!
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 30gFats: 17gSodium: 586mgFiber: 3g
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easy methods to make Apple Butter Pork Chops step-by-step pictures
Collect all your elements.
Make the seasoning rub: Add ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ tsp cayenne, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ⅛ tsp floor clove, ¼ tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp dried thyme to a bowl and blend to mix.
Season the pork: Rub 4 thick-cut pork chops with the seasoning rub on each side and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20-Half-hour. Set any leftover rub apart and use it in step 8!
Prep the recent elements: In the meantime, peel and slice 1 inexperienced apple, peel and grate 1 inch recent ginger, mince 2 garlic cloves, and thinly slice ½ a yellow onion.
Prepare dinner the pork chops: Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to a big skillet and warmth over medium-high warmth. As soon as the oil is shimmering, add the pork chops and prepare dinner for 5-6 minutes on one facet…
…then flip them over and prepare dinner for an extra 5-6 minutes on the opposite facet. They need to attain an inner temperature of 145°F as soon as absolutely cooked. Take away the cooked pork chops from the skillet and set them apart (lined to maintain them heat).
Make the apple butter sauce: Add the sliced onions to the identical sizzling skillet and prepare dinner till softened, about 4 minutes. You’ll want to stir them typically and scrape up any stuck-on bits from the underside of the skillet for additional taste.
Add the peeled and sliced apples, minced garlic, grated ginger, and 1 cup chopped collard greens to the onions. Prepare dinner till the apples soften, about 5 minutes, whereas stirring the entire elements collectively as they prepare dinner.
Now add ½ cup apple butter, any leftover seasoning rub from the pork, and 1 cup hen broth to the skillet. Stir all the things collectively and simmer till barely lowered, about 8 minutes.
Serve: Return the pork chops to the skillet with the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chops, then serve and revel in!
Serving Recommendations
These apple pork chops are simply good for a comfortable weeknight dinner or a relaxed fall weekend if you need one thing hearty however low-effort. As for sides, you’ll be able to’t go unsuitable with garlic mashed potatoes! They’re creamy, comforting, and can take in the apple butter sauce in one of the simplest ways. I’d additionally pair this with roasted acorn squash for full-on fall vibes, or preserve it easy with sauteed asparagus or air fryer Brussels sprouts.
Storage & Reheating
Leftover pork chops and apples needs to be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge and loved inside 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low warmth to maintain the pork from drying out—you’ll be able to splash in a little bit hen broth to loosen the sauce if it’s too thick. If you wish to freeze them, the pork chops will maintain up effectively for as much as 3 months, however the apples will soften fairly a bit after thawing. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
