Sage Rubbed Pork Chops With Rum Cider Pan Sauce & Sauteed Applesauce

I am coming up on my 1 anniversary of eating meat and I feel I’ve only recently started to warm up to the real art of cooking meat. Letting my mind wander back to the many super tasty meals my mom mande for us when I was a kid I’ve been venturing beyond chicken and turkey into the world of pork, sausage and beef. One meal I’ve been particularly hankering for is pork chops and applesauce. I have fond memories of my mom’s nicely caramelized chops with a hint of rosemary always served with applesauce on the side. It was something she always made in the fall which is probably why it’s on my mind.

When I decided to give pork chops a go I couldn’t simply remake it the way my mom did, cause, well, she’s the only one who can make it taste that way. So I decided to let the applesauce lead me. I found a recipe for pan roasted applesauce and I started there. Since I also had to develop a recipe for work I decided to carry the apple theme into a rum spiked cider pan sauce. Which left me to pick some spices for the pork. Using this fantastic tastebud map I settled on sage and got to work. After a few runs at this concept I’ve landed on the final method and I think it’s on par with my mom’s pork chops.

Sage Rubbed Pork Chops With Cider Pan Sauce & Roasted Applesauce

  • 1 large golden apple, cored and sliced thin
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 1 C unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 Tbs brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced super fine
  • 3 Tbs spiced rum (I used Sailor Jerry)
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 boneless thick cut pork chops
  • 1 Tbs rubbed sage
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 C cider
  • 1 Tbs spiced rum
  • 2 Tbs butter
Directions:
  1. Melt 2 Tbs butter in a sauce pan over medium/high heat then add the apple sliced. Saute until slightly golden.
  2. Add the applesauce, brown sugar, ginger and nutmeg then let it simmer until it has thickened and begun to caramelize.
  3. Add 3 Tbs spiced rum and let the mixture cook until there isn’t a lot of liquid left, 3-5 minutes. Put it in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Season both sides of the pork chops with the sage, salt and pepper.
  5. Heat the 2 Tbs of oil over high heat until shimmery, then add the pork chops and sear both sides of the pork chops – 2 minutes a side.
  6. Reduce the heat to medium and let cook 6-8 more minutes. You’ll have to turn over a few times. Then remove from the pan and set on a plate and let them rest.
  7. While the pork is resting add the remaining 2 Tbs of butter, rum and the cider to the pan and let it  reduce until its a nice a golden syrup.
  8. Pour the pan sauce over the pork chops and serve with the applesauce on the side.

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