Pork Chops with Apple Pan Sauce and Green Beans
Thin pork chops cooked in a hot skillet until golden, then a quick apple sauce pan sauce built on the browned bits. Green beans steam alongside for a fast, high-protein plate.
- Total
- 19 min
- Prep 4 · Cook 12 · Rest 3
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Deglazing
- Savory
- Quick
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Pat the pork chop dry with paper towel and season both sides with the salt and black pepper. Let it sit while you trim the green beans.
~2 min
Salting ahead draws moisture to the surface and seasons the meat deeply before it hits the pan.
-
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay in the pork chop and cook undisturbed until a deep golden crust forms, about 3 minutes.
~3 min
A shimmering pan means the oil is hot enough to sear, creating a golden crust through Maillard browning.
Searing Get the pan hot and leave the chop undisturbed until a deep golden crust releases easily. Moving it too early prevents browning.
-
Flip the chop and cook the second side until golden and the center reaches 63°C/145°F on a thermometer, about 3 minutes. Move it to a plate to rest.
~3 min
Pork is safe and juicy at 63°C/145°F; resting lets carryover heat finish cooking and juices redistribute.
Thin chops overcook fast, so pull them at 63°C/145°F and let the carryover heat finish them during the rest.
Searing Get the pan hot and leave the chop undisturbed until a deep golden crust releases easily. Moving it too early prevents browning.
-
While step 3 rests
While the pork rests, add the green beans and 60 ml water to the same skillet. Cover and steam over medium heat until crisp-tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Lift them out to the plate.
~4 min
Covering traps steam so the beans cook quickly and stay bright green rather than browning.
-
Pour the apple sauce into the hot skillet with the browned bits and stir for 1 minute to loosen the fond into a glossy sauce.
~1 min
The hot pan and browned bits dissolve into the apple sauce, adding savory depth and gloss.
If the apple sauce is thick, loosen it with a splash of the green bean steaming water still in the pan.
Deglazing Add liquid to the hot pan and stir, scraping up the browned fond. The sauce should loosen and turn glossy, not burn.
-
Return the pork chop to the pan and spoon the apple sauce over it for 1 minute to warm through. Serve with the green beans.
~1 min