Autumn

Pork Chops and Apples in White Wine Pan Sauce

pork chops and apples

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” ― Humbert Wolfe

October afternoons often lead us to the apple orchard.  While we’re fortunate to live near several beautiful orchards, we tend to visit the one with the freshly pressed cider and the hot roasted cobs of corn the most.

The short ride home is filled with requests for apple crumble, baked apples and candy apples.  Of course, I’m happy to oblige any of those delicious requests.  Though for me, I’m most drawn to apples used in savory dishes, like this pork chops and apples in white wine pan sauce.

pork chops and apples

Pork chops and apples

If you’ve been following me, you know my favorite apple is Honeycrisp, it’s sweet on it’s own and heat tolerant for cooking.  A few minutes in the pan will cook the apples down just enough to lose their crunch while still retaining a subtle bite.  For a pop of color consider leaving the skins on the apples, although peeling them is perfectly fine and will not compromise the dish.

I use local pork chops from my trusted butcher, fresh sage from my backyard, and shallots and garlic from the farm market down the road.  The sought-after tang that makes these bone-in pork chops so succulent comes from a good measure of dry white wine, a dollop of quality Dijon and a splash of apple cider vinegar.  The pan juices cook down just a little and we finish the sauce with cream and butter to create a wonderfully silky essence.

Pro Tip:  Cut the apples when you’re preparing the shallots and searing the pork. It’s ok if they oxidize just a bit, they’re going to be cooked.

Pork chops and apples in white wine pan sauce is fantastic served with scalloped or mashed potatoes alongside a crisp autumn salad with hearty greens and chopped apples, of course.

Happy apple harvest!

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pork chops and apples

Pork Chops and Apples in White Wine Pan Sauce

Pork chops and apples are the perfect combination, and this recipe makes an incredibly succulent white wine and Dijon pan sauce!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apples, Pork Chops
Author: Chasing the Seasons

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in rib pork chops, cut 1-inch (2.5-cm) thick
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter, divided
  • 2 medium heat tolerant apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) wedges recommended: Honey Crisp
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely grated
  • 2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 1 cup dry white wine recommended: Sauvignon Blanc
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

  • Pat pork dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides, set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat add the olive oil and only 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter.  When the oil is hot and shimmery and the butter is melted, add the pork chops.  Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the pork for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Transfer the pork to a large plate and set aside.
  • Lower the heat to low-medium and add the apple wedges.  Cook the apples until they are golden in color, about 3 minutes.  They will absorb color from the pan right away, but you still want to cook them down just a bit, they’ll cook down more later.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples alongside the pork - they'll finish cooking in a bit.
  • To the skillet, add the shallots, lightly sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring often, until they are tender and begin to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and fresh sage, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Turn off the heat and add the wine.  Deglaze the pan by scraping up any brown bits that may have accumulated.  Bring the contents to a full simmer.  Return the pork chops, along with any juices on the plate, back to the pan.  Cover and simmer until the pork is fully cooked, about 10 minutes, adding in the apples for the last 4-5 minutes of cooking.  To assure the pork is fully cooked, check for an internal temperature of 145 F. (63 C.).  The apples should be soft with a subtle bite, not mushy.
  • Transfer the pork and apples to a large oval serving platter with sides deep enough to hold the sauce, or instead set aside and prepare to nestle the pork back into the skillet to serve family style. Tent loosely with foil.
  • To finish the sauce, bring the heat to low.  Whisk in the mustard and cider vinegar to fully incorporate.  Simmer just a minute longer to subdue the acidity.  On the lowest heat setting, slowly stream in the heavy cream while continuously whisking to temper the cream.  Turn off the heat.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter, stirring to melt and to create a silky glaze. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Por over the pork and apples in the deep serving platter or nestle the pork and apples back into the pan and bring to the table.

Notes

Consider leaving the skins on the apples for an added punch of color, however, peeling all the apples is perfectly fine too – especially if you don’t like warmed apple skins as they tend to peel away from the apples if over heated. 
If you do peel the apples and find you need to add back some color to the dish, a handful of fresh sage leaves as a garnish will do the trick.  Better yet?  Fry the sage to add a wonderful layer of frizzled sage to be enjoyed!
Wonderful when paired with scalloped or mashed potatoes and a crisp autumn salad with chopped apples.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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4 Comments on “Pork Chops and Apples in White Wine Pan Sauce

  1. loved this!! The sauce was so good! Definitely a keeper. Made it twice already. For the reader who said this wouldn’t be ok to serve to company, you could always make it up to the point the pork and apples come out and keep them warm for a short while. Make the sauce in a bit. That’s just my two cents. Otherwise, serve company a different dish. For me, this was a great family dinner!

  2. This was not what I would have expected from a one skillet dish. Lots of steps and mess . Not a dish to serve for company … needs to be worked on until last minute . Flavors were good but not exceptional for the tedious nature of this dish. I am more an Ina Garten girl who likes to spend more time with guests and doing bulk of preparing in advance.

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