Braising doesn’t have to mean long cooking times. For tender cuts like pork chops, the secret to a great braise lies in the method, not in hours on the stove. First, a hard sear on the meat, as well as halved shallots and apples, creates a beautiful fond (the delicious caramelized bits left in the bottom of the pan after cooking). Deglazing the pan with a tart-savory combination of hard cider, vinegar, and stock loosens up that layer of browned goodness and reduces down to gravy in about 20 minutes. To finish, the chops simmer in the sauce until they’re cooked through. Voilà: cooked-all-day depth in under an hour.
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Kitchen Twine
$7 At Amazon
Heavy Metal Spatula
$7 At Amazon
Microplane
$17 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pat four 1½"-thick bone-in rib pork chops (about 2 lb. total) dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high. Working in batches if needed, cook pork chops, turning halfway through, until deeply browned, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.
Step 2
Working in batches if needed, cook 3 medium Granny Smith or Gala apples, halved through equators, and 3 medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise through root ends, cut sides down, in same skillet, gently pressing down on them with a spatula to create contact with pan, until golden brown on cut sides, about 2 minutes (it’s okay if shallots fall apart). Transfer apples to plate with chops.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium, add 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, to pan, and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, and 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter; stir to coat shallots. Pour in 2 cups sweet hard apple cider, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, and 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, scraping up browned bits and flour stuck to bottom of pan and incorporating into liquid. Add 10–12 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen twine, and bring mixture to a simmer. Partially cover (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid) and simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Place pork chops and apples in sauce, arranging apples cut sides up, and partially cover. Simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a pork chop registers 145°, 7–10 minutes. Remove from heat; sprinkle with finely chopped chives and season with more pepper to serve.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
Recipes From Bon Appétit’s February 2024 Issue
In February’s issue, there are recipes for cozy braises, saucy pastas, and plenty of snacks and shareable dishes, should your party guests get snowed in.
