There's so much to love about pork chops. They are one of the most versatile proteins available and apple is one of the best flavor combos with pork. These pan roasted pork chops are topped with a subtly sweet glaze that also has some apple cider vinegar in it for some brightness.
You want to get 1 to 2" thick cut pork chops for this one. The reason is that they will take a little longer to cook and that gives them more time with the glaze.
I had the opportunity to visit the Jackie's Jams kitchen in east San Diego and get an inside look at how they make their delicious jams. I've been buying jam from a local Jackie's Jams for years now ever since I first spotted them. It's great to buy local.
They sent me home with some seasonal flavors to try, and one of them was apple (see above photo). I immediately started thinking of pairing it with pork, and here's the recipe I came up with.
The apple jam glaze comes together really quickly in a small saucepan with a little bit of butter and apple cider vinegar.
The only tedious part this recipe is peeling and cutting up the butternut squash. You can buy pre-peeled and diced butternut squash to get around this and save yourself a little time. The Butternut Squash Purée is inspired from the cookbook, Taste and Technique (affiliate link).
Ingredients
- 2 Pork Chops , 1-2" thick
- 4 tablespoons Apple Jam
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
Butternut Squash Purée
- 1 ½ lb Butternut Squash
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
To make the Butternut Squash Purée
- Prep the butternut squash by peeling, halving and seeding it; then cut into ¼" pieces.
- In a medium saucepan, cook the squash with the milk, cream and salt over medium heat until very tender, stirring frequently for about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a highs speed blender and purée until very smooth. If the purée is too thick, add a little of the remaining hot dairy.
Make the Apple Jam Glaze
- In a small saucepan; heat the apple jam, butter and apple cider vinegar until it starts to boil.
To cook the pork chops
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high with enough canola oil to coat the bottom, just until it starts smoking.
- Season the pork chops with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Sear the pork chops on the first side until browned.
- Turn the chops over, reduce heat to medium-low and pour the apple jam glaze on top.
- Baste the chops and cook for a few minutes on second side, then transfer to the oven to finish cooking.
- Rest the pork chops for at least 5 minutes, then serve with the butternut squash purée and top with any of the glaze that is left in the pan.
Notes
- Save the extra milk & cream mixture for a soup or mashed potatoes.
- The Butternut Squash Purée can be made ahead of time and reheated.
Zachary Reese says
How long does it stay in the oven for?
justin says
Hi Zachary,
It depends on the size of the chops and the time they are in the skillet, how hot it is, etc. Usually, 5 to 10 minutes in the oven after the sear will get the internal temperature to 145 degrees. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers!
Jason Day says
Making this tonight..... no butternut squash here, so I'll sub Acorn Squash... looks beautiful!
justin says
Awesome! Let me know how it was with Acorn Squash.
Carlos At Spoonabilities says
This dish is stunningly beautiful! I love the simplicity and elegance of this photo. The colors pop beautifully and very mouthwatering!!
I will print this recipe because I make it soon.