Bourbon Braised Pork Chops with Drunken Apples

This recipe was conceived on our way home one night. We based it on items we had at home, because neither of us wanted to run to the grocery store. We knew we were going to make pork chops, since that's what was defrosting in the fridge. The rest came together as we started discussing it. We're pretty proud of what we created. 

We've also figured out some replacement ingredients if you're not too keen on cooking with Bourbon (say, if you're feeding children).

Here's what you need:

Apple topping:

2 apples (we think ours were Fuji apples, but whatever you have on hand will do)

3 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 splash of Bourbon (If you want un-drunken apples, substitute with apple cider or apple juice)

dash of salt & pepper

Pork Chops:

4 thick cut pork chops

1 cup water

2 oz. Bourbon (If you don't want to add the bourbon, just add more water to braise with)

olive oil

Salt & pepper

Here's what you do:

Start by peeling and dicing your apples. We realized pretty quickly that having an apple corer would make this process much faster, but we did alright.

Heat a 10" skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter melts down in, add the apples and toss them around to coat them with the butter. 

Then, add the brown sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet. Toss it around and let it cook down and soften.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil for the pork chops over medium-high heat. You want to get a nice brown color on the chops before you begin braising.

Now, pour in 2 oz of bourbon.

And about a cup of water. You want the water to just about cover the pork chops.

Now, drop the heat to just below medium and cover the chops. Let those hang out and braise for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature comes up to 145 degrees F.


Hopefully, you've been keeping an eye on your apples and stirring them occasionally, until they look like this:

Plate your pork chop, then top with a healthy portion of apples on top.

Enjoy!