Wow! This meal turned out gourmet, for sure. This recipe for Pork Chops with Apple & Onion Compote paired with this Warm Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad was a huge hit that I'll be making again, guaranteed. It’s amazing the difference a brine can make... moist, flavorful, and tender pork chops.
Fun fact: Pork chops were one of the first foods I learned to cook. I could barely see over the stove top as my Sicilian mother instructed me on how to get a good sear.
This recipe was written for Mother Earth Food, as we are featuring amazing, local, pasture-raised pork chops this week! Such quality, such integrity ~ I just love this company!
Pork Chops with Apple & Onion Compote Recipe
(2.5 hours, 30 minutes active prep, 2 servings)
Ingredients
2 pork chops
2 Tbsp salt + 1/4 tsp sea salt divided
3 cups warm water
2 Tbsp+ 1 Tbsp ghee, divided
½ yellow onion diced
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 apples, cored and diced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp dried sage (optional)
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 more Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp olive oil or ghee
Directions
Combine warm water & salt, mix until salt is mostly disintegrated and then pour over the pork chops in a shallow pan and let brine for 2-4 hours at room temperature. This step is crucial for a moist, tender, and flavorful porkchop. You can move onto making your sides while the pork marinades.
Make the compote. Melt 2 Tbsp ghee in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the maple syrup and salt , apples, balsamic, sage, cinnamon, and another 1 Tbsp ghee. Cook for an additional 20 minutes over low with the lid on, stirring occasionally, especially as you near the end of the cooking time since there is less moisture and more heat in the pan, making it easy to burn. A deep brown caramelization is perfect.
Preheat another pan over medium heat in preparation for frying the porkchops.
Take the pork out of the brine and pat dry. Add cracked pepper to both sides.
Increase the heat to med-high and add the olive oil and then the pork chops.
Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Let the pork chops rest for 10 minutes and then serve with the compote