Seared Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples

Name: Seared Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples
Prep time: PT-468453H8M41S
Cook time: PT-468453H8M41S
Total time: PT-468453H8M41S
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil; 4 – 4 ounce boneless or bone-in thick cut pork chops; ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon butter; 2 medium granny smith apples, cored and sliced; 2 tablespoons water or apple juice; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch ground nutmeg; Pinch kosher or sea salt

By Julie Andrews

We’re in between holidays and I don’t know about you, but I’m in need of some super simple and fast weeknight dinner recipes that are festive, but nutritious and delicious.

These seared pork chops with warm cinnamon apples check all the boxes.

The key to making great pork chops is:

Seasoning them properly.
Cooking them to the perfect temperature/doneness.
Getting a light brown crusted sear on the exterior.

I’m here to show you how to achieve all of those things! Here it goes…

When you take the pork chops out of the refrigerator, it’s helpful to let them sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. If you don’t have time, that’s fine, but allowing them to come to room temperature will help them cook more evenly.
Season all sides of the pork chop with salt and black pepper. Even the edges! This will give each bite great flavor. If you’re adding dried herbs and spices, you can do that now, as well.
Before adding the pork chops (or any meat) to the skillet, get the pan and the oil hot. The oil should ripple, which is a tell-tale sign that it’s hot and ready to go. When you add the pork chop to the pan, it should sizzle.
Use an instant-read thermometer to test for doneness. It’s best to temp them by inserting the thermometer in through the side of the pork chop and into the thickest part to get a read. Pork should be done to 145 degrees, but you can take them out of the pan when they reach 140 degrees. Meat carryover cooks about 5 degrees, so by the time you let them rest for a few minutes, they will have reached 145 degrees.
Let the pork chops rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into them. This helps the juices redistribute. If you cut into them too early, the juices will end up all over your plate and not in the pork!
Note: If you’d like to marinate the pork chops first, go for it! To achieve a sear, though, be sure to dry the chops off before adding them to the pan. It’s important that meat is dry before adding it to the pan (for both the sear and because water-based ingredients will splatter all over the place!).

As if your chops aren’t delicious all on their own, go ahead and serve them with these sauteed cinnamon apples – they’re AMAZING! Oh, and don’t forget a side of veggies.