-
1
Take pork chops out of the fridge and set them on the counter on a plate.
-
2
Preheat oven to 425 F.
-
3
Prepare onions and apples.
-
4
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
-
5
Once skillet is warmed up add the olive oil.
-
6
Season pork chops liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, making sure to get some on both sides.
-
7
Once oil is nice and hot (shimmering but not smoking), carefully add pork chops.
-
8
Let the chops brown for 2-3 minutes without moving.
-
9
After the 2-3 minutes, flip chops.
-
10
Nestle apples, onions, and the 2 cloves of garlic among the pork chops.
-
11
Brown for 2-3 minutes and then flip again.
-
12
Brown for another 2-3 minutes and flip again.
-
13
You are looking to get a nice brown crust on your chops.
-
14
Toss apples and onions occasionally.
-
15
Go for one more round of flipping the chops if you dont have enough color on them after 2 rounds of flipping.
-
16
After a nice brown color is achieved, place skillet in the preheated oven.
-
17
Now here is where the timing gets tricky.
-
18
You dont want to dry out your pork chops but you want to make sure to cook them properly.
-
19
The time it spends in the oven depends on how many times you flipped your chops on the stove and the thickness of the pork chops.
-
20
After flipping 3 times on both sides my 1 1/4 inch pork chops spent about 7 minutes in the oven.
-
21
But the time could vary from 5 to 14 minutes depending on the aforementioned factors.
-
22
You can use a meat thermometer if you like, and take the chops out once they reach 135 F. It will continue to cook in the brown butter and resting stages.
-
23
Remove skillet from oven and place on medium heat on the stove.
-
24
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.
-
25
Add the thyme leaves.
-
26
Cook until butter is foamy, carefully tip the skillet and swirl the butter around to coat the onions and apples.
-
27
Toss onions and apples.
-
28
Flip the pork chop to ensure both sides are coated with butter.
-
29
Cook for 2-3 minutes until butter is brown and smells nutty.
-
30
Flip pork chops one more time.
-
31
Remove pork chops and place on a wire rack over paper towels to rest.
-
32
Rest chops for 5 minutes.
-
33
Discard the smashed garlic.
-
34
Serve with plenty of apples and onions on top.
-
35
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.
