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Maple-Glazed Pork Chops

Source of Recipe

From "The New Essentials Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"Throwing a few boneless pork chops into a skillet sounds like a promising route to a weeknight meal. But the lean chops quickly dry out. A simple solution that also adds flavor is to give them a glaze. We started by cutting slits in the pork's fat and silverskin to prevent the chops from contracting and curling up in the hot pan. We seared the chops on just one side to impart browning without overcooking and then flipped them, added our glaze, and lowered the heat to cook them gently. A glaze of maple syrup, mustard, and cider vinegar walked the line between sweet and savory. When the chops finished, we removed them to rest and reduced the glaze until thick and glossy, but not overly syrupy, adding in the juices from the rested meat. Be careful not to overreduce the glaze in step 4. If the glaze thickens to the correct consistency before the chops reach 145 degrees, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan. Serve with pan-roasted potatoes."

List of Ingredients

Glaze:
◦ � cup maple syrup
◦ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
◦ � cup cider vinegar
◦ 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Chops:
◦ 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chops, � to 1 inch thick, trimmed
◦ Salt and pepper
◦ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Recipe

For the glaze: Combine all ingredients in bowl.

For the chops: Cut two slits, about 2 inches apart, through fat on edges of each pork chop. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chops and cook until well browned on first side, about 5 minutes.

Turn chops and add glaze to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.

Transfer chops to plate and tent with aluminum foil. Increase heat to medium and continue to simmer glaze until thick and glossy, 2 to 6 minutes, adding any accumulated pork juices to pan. Pour glaze over chops and serve.

Serves 4






❧ Variations:

� Orange-Chipotle-Glazed Pork Chops:
Substitute following mixture for maple glaze: ⅔ cup orange juice (2 oranges), 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, and 1 � tablespoons sugar. Simmer glaze as directed, adding � teaspoon grated lime zest to glaze with accumulated pork juices.

• Pineapple-Soy-Glazed Pork Chops:
Substitute following mixture for maple glaze: ⅔ cup pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, � cup rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, and 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar. Simmer glaze as directed, adding � teaspoon toasted sesame oil with accumulated pork juices.