Autumn / No. 15 / Making a pan sauce
Seared Pork Chops with Cider Pan Sauce
Thick bone-in pork chops seared to a golden crust, then finished with a quick pan sauce of shallot, apple cider, mustard and butter.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
Photo: Pork-Chop-Dinner-2009 by Kham Tran - www.khamtran.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
A good pork chop is juicy, well-seasoned and deeply browned, and it should take less than half an hour. The secret is to buy thick chops, at least an inch, season them ahead, sear them hard and pull them from the heat a little earlier than you think. Modern pork is lean, and overcooking is the most common mistake.
The real prize is what is left in the pan. Those browned bits, called fond, are pure flavor. Loosen them with a splash of cider and stock, reduce, then swirl in mustard and cold butter, and you have a glossy sauce in about five minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or roasted squash.
Method
- 1
Pat the chops dry and season all over with the salt and pepper. If you can, refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 24 hours. Take them out 30 minutes before cooking.
- 2
Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chops and cook without moving for 4 to 5 minutes, until a deep golden crust forms.
- 3
Flip the chops, reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter, thyme and garlic. When the butter foams, tilt the pan and spoon the butter over the chops repeatedly for 3 to 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 135 to 140°F (57 to 60°C) in the thickest part.
- 4
Transfer the chops to a plate and rest for 8 minutes; the temperature will rise to about 145°F.
- 5
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet and discard the garlic and thyme. Over medium heat, add the shallot and cook for 1 minute.
- 6
Pour in the cider and stock, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Boil for 4 to 6 minutes, until reduced to about 1/2 cup and slightly syrupy.
- 7
Remove from the heat. Whisk in the mustard and vinegar, then the cold butter one piece at a time, until glossy. Stir in the herbs and any juices from the resting chops. Spoon over the pork and serve.
Cook's notes
- Hold the chops on their fatty edge with tongs for a minute to render and crisp the fat cap.
- Boneless chops cook faster; start checking the temperature after 2 minutes on the second side.
- Use dry white wine or hard cider instead of apple cider for a less sweet sauce.
Keeping
Refrigerate chops and sauce for up to 3 days. Slice the pork thinly and reheat gently in the sauce.
Cooking times and temperatures are guides; ovens, stoves and ingredients vary. This recipe is for home cooking and is not dietary or medical advice. Check labels for allergens.
