Cider Braised Pork Chops

This recipe only works with very thick pork chops, or else with a LOT of thin pork chops, but I'd go with the thick ones. I learned of this recipe on the PBS show Test Kitchen and thought it sounded fantastic. Turned out, it was! When it was done, I served it with croissants and a sweet asian salad and the meal was amazing! This one takes a long time, so plan for that. Prep time is about 20-30 minutes, but cook time is about 90 minutes. I can see serving this with either rice or potatoes. I can also see adding fresh or frozen vegetables during the last half hour, but that's only if you want the apple flavor to be consistent through the entire meal. Your call. It may seem complicated at the start, but it's really very easy to do, and the results are fantastic. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you try this once as it's written so you know what you're dealing with, then start making modifications. Whenever I'm dealing with cider recipes, I do this. Enjoy!


3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 pounds pork chops (cut thick or thin)
1 medium onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons apple butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup apple cider
1 sprig thyme
1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 (more) tablespoons apple butter

Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a dutch oven, or a pan with a cover that is both oven safe and stove top safe, heat oil until almost smoking. Pat pork chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry chops in oil to brown depending on thickness of chops 2-4 minutes each side. Remove chops to a plate and continue until all chops are done. Remove all oil from pan except 1 tablespoon trying to retain all pork solids for flavor. Cook onions over medium heat until soft, then add garlic, flour, and first 2 tablespoons of apple butter. Cook until aromatic. Add one cup of cider and herbs (thyme or sage/basil mix) and stir until smooth, scraping pan to release "flavor bits" in the pan. Put chops back into pan with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, cover, and put in oven. Bake thoroughly. This can take 2-3 hours, but the meat must reach the "falling off the bone" stage. When the meat is done, remove it to a platter being very careful not to shred it. Strain the juices left in the pan and return to the heated pan. Add the last two tablespoons of apple butter, and 1 tsp of apple cider and stir until thouroughly blended and completely heated. Serve each chop on a plate with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Like I said, AMAZING!

Enjoy!