Pork Chops with Apple Cider Pan Sauce

Foundations Referenced

• → Pan Sauce Method

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops, 1" thick
• Salt, pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter (divided)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup apple cider (not vinegar)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (→ foundation)
• 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Method

1. Sear pork: Season chops. Heat oil over medium-high. Sear 4–5 min per side until golden and 140°F internal. Rest on a plate.
2. Pan sauce: Pour off excess fat, leaving fond. Add 1 tbsp butter and shallot, cook 30 sec. Deglaze with apple cider, scrape fond. Reduce by two-thirds (it will become syrupy). Add stock, reduce by half. Stir in mustard and vinegar. Off heat, swirl in remaining butter.
3. Optional: Sauté apple slices in a separate pan with butter until golden.
4. Serve: Spoon sauce over chops. Top with apple slices and thyme.

What You're Practicing

• Pan sauce with cider: the same deglaze-reduce-enrich method, with a fall flavor profile
• Cider reduction concentrates the apple sweetness into a glaze
• Pork and apple is a classic pairing — the acid and sweetness cut through the richness
• The universal pan sauce template from foundations, applied to a new combination