Description
A right-sized recipe for two featuring tender pork chops seared in neutral oil, served with a nutty brown butter sage sauce and sweet caramelized apples. Ready in 25 minutes with zero waste.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 bone-in or boneless pork chops (6–8 oz each, about 1-inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8–10 fresh sage leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Fuji), sliced into wedges
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat neutral oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add pork chops and sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until golden crust forms. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145°F. Remove to a plate and tent with foil to rest.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter to the same skillet. Swirl occasionally until foam settles, brown specks appear, and it smells nutty (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat immediately.
- Add sage leaves to the hot butter just before removing from heat to crisp. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat entirely.
- Wipe out excess butter if necessary. Return skillet to medium heat. Add apples and sugar, tossing to coat. Cook 5-7 minutes until tender and caramelized.
- Add lemon juice in the last minute of cooking apples.
- Return rested pork chops to the skillet with apples. Pour brown butter sage sauce over everything and heat through for 1 minute.
- Serve immediately, spooning extra sauce over the chops.
Notes
Resting the meat for 5 minutes is crucial to keep juices inside. Brown butter goes from perfect to burnt quickly, so watch closely. Use firm apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji; avoid soft varieties like McIntosh. This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pork chop with hal
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: brown butter, sage pork chops, caramelized apples, recipe for two, weeknight dinner, zero waste cooking, fall recipes, easy dinner