Photo by William P. Edwards/iStock
SERVES 4
The pork chops in this recipe are brined. While brining is not necessary, it will infuse more flavor and make for moister pork chops.
Brine for pork chops:
6 cups water
4 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
10 whole cloves
4 6-ounce bone-in, center-cut pork chops, about ½-inch thick
2 tablespoons canola oil
Apple compote:
2 tablespoons butter
2 large Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2/3 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons peeled fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
Brine: In a large, heavy-duty plastic container (or zip-top bag), combine the first 6 ingredients, shaking or stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add pork chops and seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or 24 hours for full flavor. Remove pork chops from brine; rinse and pat dry. Let pork chops rest out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking. In a large, cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook 4–6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Apple compote: Reduce the heat to medium under skillet, and add butter and apple wedges. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cider, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and allspice, scraping the pan to loosen brown bits on the bottom. Reduce heat to low, and cook 5 minutes or until apples are tender. Add the applesauce, and stir to combine. Add more applesauce if compote is still too thick. To serve, pour the apple compote onto a platter and arrange the pork chops on top.