Pork Chops with Maple Brandy Sauce
Pork chops can handle just about flavor you pair them with. Maple syrup and brandy are two natural choices, but the ante is upped with Dijon, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and thyme.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops
- salt and pepper to season
- Oil for searing
- 1 apple cut into slices (See notes)
- 4 cloves garlic slightly smashed with the flat side of the chef's knife
- ½ cup apple brandy
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- fresh sprigs of thyme 1 fresh sprig and about 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Put a bit of oil in a large cast-iron skillet (or any oven-proof skillet- see notes) and lay the pork chops in to sear. Add the smashed garlic cloves and the sprig of thyme.
- Cook till they are well-browned, then turn them to the other side. Put the skillet in the oven. Let them cook till they reach 145°F. Remove from the oven and put the pork chops on a platter to rest.
- While the pork chops are resting, place the skillet on a medium-high heat. Pour in the apple brandy and balsamic vinegar and allow them to reduce to about a half cup. Add the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves.
- Pour the sauce over the pork chops, garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve immediately.
Notes
Choose whatever apple you like best. I love a Braeburn for this because it's sweet-tart, but will hold its shape in the oven.
If you don't have a cast iron skillet, get one. :) I'm only slightly kidding, but seriously, if you don't have one and you don't have any other oven-proof skillet, do the searing in the skillet and transfer the chops to an oven proof casserole dish, cake pan, or baking sheet. When you bring them out of the oven, be sure to add the pan drippings to the skillet you originally used. Then continue to make the sauce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!