Directions
This, my friends, is a really, really tasty meal.
And the beauty of it is, it’s so simple to throw together for a quick weeknight meal, but definitely impressive enough to serve to guests. The flavors are spectacular, it’s beautiful on the plate, and that maple-sage butter melting over the pork and apples? Holy smokes.
I started by making that very special butter. I combined some softened butter with some chopped, fresh sage, salt, pepper, and a good drizzle of maple syrup.
That’s it. Simple, and fresh.
Then, I started on my pork chops. I sprinkled my boneless chops with some salt and pepper, and cooked them in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about five minutes per side.
Once the chops were done, I moved them to a plate, tented some foil over them, and then started on the apples. Into the same skillet went a couple of sliced Granny Smith apples, a thin sliced red onion, and some salt. I cooked this mixture down until the apples and onion had softened a bit, about five minutes more.
Then, I stirred in some red wine vinegar, and a little more maple syrup to sweeten things up, and cooked the apples until they softened even more, and started to brown up a bit.
Pretty simple right?
Then, it was just a matter of scooping that glorious apple concoction onto my plate, piling a juicy pork chop on top, and topping it with a dollop of that crazy-tasty sage butter.
Let the butter melt over the chop and apples a bit, and you have a meal fit for a king…or the royalty who happens to sit at your dinner table on a nightly basis.
SKILLET PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES AND MAPLE-SAGE BUTTER
Adapted from Cook’s Country
- 4 Tbsp. butter, softened, plus 1 Tbsp. to cook the chops in
- 2 Tbsp. real maple syrup, divided
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh sage
- salt and pepper
- 4 1-inch thick boneless pork chops, trimmed
- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch thick wedges
- 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- In a small bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, the minced sage, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Pat your pork chops dry with paper towel, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the pork chops and cook, until browned and until the internal temperature is 140*F, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate, and tent with foil.
- Pour off some of the fat in the pan, if need be, until you have about 1 tablespoon of drippings left in the pan. Add the apples, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir together, and cook, covered, until softened, about 5-6 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Cook, uncovered, until the apples begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Uncover the pork, and pour any accumulated juices into the apple mixture. Spoon the apples and onions onto your plate, top with a pork chop, and finish with a dollop of the sage butter.
- ENJOY!