Pork Chops with Cranberry-Maple Pan Sauce

These thick and juicy pan fried pork loin chops smothered in a sweet and savory cranberry-maple pan sauce are a wonderful way to enjoy the flavors of fall.

You can make these tasty pork chops in just about 30 minutes. Serve them with some rice pilaf and a salad, and you'll have a pretty fabulous and easy meal.

The sauce is a combination of fresh or frozen cranberries, pure maple syrup, and chicken broth, and brightened with some apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard.

I served boneless loin pork chops in this dish, but you can use bone in pork chops as well.

My pork chops were pretty thick, so I used an instant read thermometer when pan frying them. It's probably one of my favorite kitchen tools, and really helps you know when your pork chops are done.

Can I tell you how excited I was with the way these pork chops turned out? The meat was juicy, and the sauce was delicious with it. I would not hesitate to serve these for dinner guests, and if you cut the recipe in half, for a date night.

I am excited to report that fresh cranberries are back in the stores right now. It's not a minute too soon, because I've nearly used up all of my frozen cranberry stash from last year.

I've stocked up with three 12-ounce bags so far, but I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up more, especially because my pals participating in Cranberry Week are sharing so many delicious recipes that call for cranberries.

P.S. If you missed my Cranberry-Almond Shortbread Tart, you must check it out.

I'm excited to be sharing this recipe as part of Cranberry Week - now in it's third year! See all the tasty cranberry recipes being shared today below and follow #cranberryweek on social media for more ideas all week long.

• Buddha's Hand-Cranberry Shortbread from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Cranberry Baked Brie from Cookaholic Wife
• Cranberry Fig Sauce from The Redhead Baker
• Cranberry Glazed Carrots from Palatable Pastime
• Cranberry Jam with Bacon and Onions from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls from The Saucy Fig
• Cranberry Whiskey Sour from Caroline's Cooking
• Dark Chocolate Cranberry Scones from Cooking For My Soul
• Pork Chops with Cranberry Maple Pan Sauce from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spiced Cranberry Sangria from A Joyfully Mad Kitchen

pork chops, cranberries, maple

Main dish, holiday

American

Yield: 4 servingsAuthor: Karen Kerr

Pork Chops with Cranberry-Maple Pan Sauce

ingredients

• Four 1 to 1-1/2 inch thick pork chops
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 

instructions

1. Dry the pork chops with paper towels and rub them with 3 teaspoons of the thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 3/4 teaspoons of pepper. 
2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet until shimmering. Place the pork chops in the pan, and let them cook undisturbed for at least 3 to 4 minutes. Once they are browned, flip them over and cook on the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, undisturbed. Check the temperature of the chops. Continue to cook them, flipping occasionally, until they reach an interior temperature of 140 degrees F. 
3. Place the pork chops on a plate and cover loosely with foil. Set aside. 
4. Add the cranberries, broth, maple syrup, vinegar, Dijon, and the rest of the thyme to the hot pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to scrape up any browned bits and incorporate the mustard into the sauce. Cook the mixture for about 7 minutes, until it has thickened into a sauce. 
5. Add the pork chops back into the pan, along with any juices on the plate. Turn the pork chops in the pan to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately. 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2018/11/pork-chops-with-cranberry-maple-pan.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories