Apple Cider Marinated Pork Chops with Apple Pan Sauce — Pork chops marinated in apple cider, seared and roasted & finished with a creamy apple pan sauce.
Thank you to the Ohio Pork Council for sponsoring this post.
There are several things I learned how to do in culinary school that I haven’t done since. Breaking down a whole lamb, making mayonnaise by hand and filleting an entire monkfish were interesting learning opportunities, but they aren’t skills I use on a regular basis.
One lesson that has stuck with me is how to make a pan sauce. Mainly because everything tastes better with a sauce. Pan sauces are easy to make, versatile, and I almost always have the ingredients on hand. 
So, what exactly is a pan sauce? Well, you know how when you sear something in a skillet and there are all those brown bits, fat and juices left in the pan? A pan sauce takes all of that and turns it into a delicious sauce. The brown bits are called fond and they are full of flavor!
Once you learn the technique for a pan sauce, you can switch up the flavors in a countless number of ways. Change up the aromatics (shallots are nice! garlic is always good!), add in more herbs, throw in some mustard, deglaze with red or white wine, and I could go on and on. Pan sauces are a great addition to any cook’s repertoire.
Tips for Cooking Apple Cider Marinated Pork Chops
- Make sure you thoroughly dry the chops after removing them from the marinade. If they are wet from the marinade, you won’t be able to get a nice sear on them.
- Don’t forget to season both sides with salt and pepper!
- Make sure to get a deep golden brown sear. This is where the flavor comes from! Be patient and don’t rush this step.
- Cook the chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
- A blush of pink inside in the center is ok! I know people get funny about this, but as long as you hit an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, then the chops are good to eat. A blush of pink is perfectly safe, and way better than dry chops!
- Here is a very helpful chart with pork cooking times and temperatures.
Tips for Making the Pan Sauce
- Start by pouring off any excess fat in your skillet. We want to have about 1 tablespoon of fat left to make our sauce.
- Sauté the onions and apples until they are nice and soft. Remember, they will be part of our sauce so they can have a little texture but we don’t want any crunch.
- Once the apples and onions have broken down, you can add the apple cider. This step is called deglazing the pan. Then, you’ll want to use your wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits (fond) that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Let the apple cider simmer and reduce by 50%, then add the chicken stock and do the same thing.
- Finish the sauce with some butter and cream to give it a nice body and texture.
- Finally, whisk in some cornstarch slurry to thicken it. A cornstarch slurry is made by whisking a cornstarch with a bit of liquid. If you try to add the cornstarch dry, it will just clump up.
- The last step is to taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. You can add a little more butter or cream if you so desire. Stir in the parsley, spoon over the chops, and you’re ready to eat!
Apple Cider Marinated Pork Chops with Apple Pan Sauce Recipe
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Jordan Hamons
Yields 4
Save RecipeIngredients
2 cups apple cider
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 springs fresh thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (about 2 pounds total)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil (if needed)
2 cups onion, small dice
2 cups apple, small dice
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 cup apple cider
2 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons chicken stock or water (this is called a cornstarch slurry)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients in a gallon-sized zipper top bag. I recommend double bagging it or placing the bag in a bowl because the bone can easily puncture the bag. Shake the bag to mix up the ingredients and cover the pork. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let marinate for 1-3 hours, flipping the bag every so often to ensure even marinading.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set a rack in the middle position.
Remove the pork chops from the marinade and place them on a clean plate or cutting board. Discard the leftover marinade. Using paper towels, thoroughly pat the chops dry on both sides. If they are really wet, they won’t brown, so do a good job of drying them. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
In an oven-proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the pork chops and sear until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chops and sear on the other side.
Place the entire skillet in the preheated oven and roast until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 10-15 minutes.
For the sauce, you’re going to use the same pan that you used to cook the chops. You need to remove the pork chops from the pan but you want to keep most of the fat and juices leftover from cooking. This will give your sauce flavor.
Use tongs to transfer the pork chops to a platter and cover them with foil. Pour off all but 1 tablespoons of the fat and juices in the skillet. If you don’t have 1 tablespoon of fat or juices left, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Set the pan over medium-high heat and once the fat is shimmering, add the onions and apples and cook them until they are soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Pour in the cider and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits they are stuck to the bottom of the pan. These will give your sauce more flavor. Let the cider reduce by about 50%.
Stir in the stock and let the mixture come to a simmer. Reduce the liquid to about 1/2 cup.
Stir in the butter and cream and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Let simmer for about 2 minutes.
Taste the sauce and adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley.
Spoon the sauce on top of the pork chops and serve immediately.
For more great pan sauce recipes, check out these links:
How to Make an Easy Pan Sauce in Minutes — The Kitchn
How to Make a Perfect Pan Sauce Every Time — Bon Appetit
How to Make a Quick Pan Sauce — ChefSteps
Thank you to the Ohio Pork Council for sponsoring this post.
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