This was a fabulous fall dish from the chef/dietitian Whitney from Sweet Cheyenne
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 boneless center-cut pork chops (about 1.25 pounds)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 large Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme, roughly chopped (or ½ teaspoon of dried thyme)
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup pomegranate juice, apple cider, or apple juice
¼ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Place a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the heated skillet.
2. Place pork chops in skillet and sauté for 2-3mminutes on each side, about 9 minutes total. The internal temperature should reach 140℉. Remove pork chops from skillet and transfer to a plate on the stovetop. Cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Return the skillet to medium-low heat and add the apples. Sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes, then add the cranberries.
4. Sauté for a minute to combine. Add the thyme, chicken stock, pomegranate or apple juice, maple syrup, stirring continuously to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to medium-low and stir often to reduce the liquid down until the sauce will be thicker and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the Dijon.
5. Return pork chops and any accumulated juices back to the pan. Use tongs or a fork to turn the pork chops a couple of times in the pan to heat through and coat with sauce. Serve pork chops hot with fruit and sauce spooned over the top.
Nutrition Facts (approx.)
Calories: 325
Total Fat: 9.9 g
Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
Sodium: 479mg
Total Carbohydrate: 34.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g
Added Sugar: 13.3 g
Total Protein: 22.6 g
Alterations
We love to prepare this with chicken breast as well for preference or non-pork eaters!
For a more diabetic / keto-friendly recipe, remove the maple syrup or replace with a sweetener alternative (13.3g of carbs come from the maple syrup). I've also tried this recipe with turnips instead of apples and replaced the apple cider with dilute apple cider vinegar to further reduce sugars.