pork chops with caramelized apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 center-cut pork chops, each about ¾ inch thick
¼ cup dry white wine (only cook with wine you would also drink!)
1¼ cup apple juice
1 large Granny Smith apple
Juice of 1 lemon
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet.
- Brown chops 2 – 3 minutes on each side. Remove to platter and cover.
- Deglaze pan with wine.
- Add 1 cup of apple cider (save ¼ cup for later) and boil gently, stirring constantly until wine-and-apple-juice liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
- Peel, core, and cut apple in half lengthwise. With cut side down, slice each half into ⅛-inch slices. Put in bowl and cover with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
- Return chops to pan and turn heat to low. Simmer chops until tender, about 10 minutes, turning them from time to time.
- Remove chops and set aside, reserving juices in small bowl.
- Add ¼ cup apple cider and 1 tablespoon butter to pan and melt butter.
- Add apple slices, being sure that each slices touches the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, carefully turning apples once to coat them. Continue to cook until cider is reduced to a glaze and apple slices are caramelized but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes.
- Spoon apple slices onto serving platter with chops.
- Returned reserved juices to pan and reduce to a light syrupy consistency and spoon over the chops.