The Pork Chop Dinner That Only Needs One Pan

A good pork chop is one of the best dinners there is, and one of the easiest to get wrong. Cooked too long, it turns dry and tough. Cooked right, it's juicy and golden, with a crisp edge of fat and a pan full of flavour that turns into a sauce in minutes.

Apple and mustard is the classic pairing: the sweetness and sharpness cut through the richness of the pork. Bone-in chops stay juicier than boneless, because the bone slows the cooking around it.

What You Will Need

From FNF:

• FNF Pork Chops, Bone-In (2 chops, about 250 g each)

For 2 people:

• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
• 1 small onion or 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• A few sprigs of thyme or rosemary
• 1 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard
• ½ cup chicken stock or water
• 3 tbsp fresh cream (optional)

Method

1. Thaw the chops overnight in the fridge. Take them out 20 minutes before cooking and pat them very dry. Snip through the fat on the edge in two or three places so the chops don't curl.
2. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a heavy pan on medium-high until shimmering. Hold the chops fat-edge down in the pan for a minute to render and crisp the fat, then lay them flat.
4. Sear until deep golden underneath, then flip. Add 1 tbsp butter, the garlic and thyme, and spoon the foaming butter over the chops as they finish cooking.
5. Pork chops are done at 63°C in the thickest part, near but not touching the bone. Move them to a plate to rest.
6. Make the sauce. In the same pan, add the remaining butter, the apple wedges and onion. Cook until the apples are golden and softened.
7. Stir in the mustard, then pour in the stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the cream, if using, and any juices from the resting chops.
8. Spoon the apples and sauce over the chops and serve.

Serve with

Mashed potatoes, buttered greens, or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Tips

• Dry chops brown; wet chops steam. Pat them dry.
• Use a thermometer if you have one. Chops overcook quickly, and a few degrees is the difference between juicy and dry.
• Rest the chops for a few minutes before cutting so the juices settle.

New to buying pork? Read our guide to buying pork in Delhi NCR, or shop ribs, belly, shoulder and chops.

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