Ingredients

  • 4 Bone-In Center Cut Pork Chops
  • 1 ½ cups apple sauce (store-bought or housemade)
  • 2 lbs. russet potatoes
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
  • 8 Tbsp. very soft, room-temperature unsalted butter
  • 1 qtr. Brussels sprout leaves
  • 6-8 sprigs thyme
  • 4 whole cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. neutral cooking oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Details

Product:

Pork Chops

Meal Course:

Dinner

Dish Type:

Entrée

Preparation

  1. Fill an appropriately-sized pot with water and bring to a boil. Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks and put in the water, along with a couple teaspoons of salt. Cook until fork tender; strain all the water out and put the potatoes back in the pot.
  2. Using a potato masher (or large, heavy-duty whisk, if you don’t have a masher), mash the potatoes as much as possible, to remove all lumps. Add the heavy cream and 4 Tbsp. cold butter, and then continue mashing until fully incorporated. Add 1 ¼ cup apple sauce and continue mashing; taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Set aside but keep warm.
  3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat (if you don’t have one large enough to sear all four pork chops without crowding, then heat two). Season all four pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Coat the pan(s) with your neutral cooking oil, and then add the chops. Leave them in the pan for about 3 minutes without moving, to get a good sear, and then flip over. Add the remaining cold butter and the thyme to the pan and continue to cook, basting occasionally, until they’ve reached an internal temperature of about 140° F. then set aside to rest.
  4. While the pork chops are cooking, combine the remaining apple sauce with the room temperature butter and mix to fully incorporate.
  5. When you pull the pork chops out of the pan, strain off any excess fat, as well as the garlic and thyme, then return the pans to the stove. Toss the Brussels sprouts leaves in, stirring as you go, until tender and just starting to color on the edges; remove from the pan and toss with a little bit of salt and pepper.
  6. When the pork has rested adequately, plate the dish by putting a large spoonful of apple-potatoes on each plate, topped with a pork chop. Put a dollop of apple butter on top of each chop, then finish with the brussels sprouts leaves.