Dijon Cider Pork Chops

"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

-George Bernard Shaw

I love you, pigs. I also love freshly-pressed apple cider, sharp bite from dijon mustard, and tasty recipes. Luckily, this one hits all those points wonderfully. And for those who are going to ask, that roasted fall mix is next. Heyo!

Today's recipe is going to give a basic lesson in pan sauces. it's where we take all of that gross "burnt" stuff off of a pan, make it wet, give it a scrape, and use some magic to make a tasty sauce. Is that a gross oversimplification? Yes! Do I care? Not in the slightest! It's going to taste good, and you're going to love it.

I have a soft spot for pork chops. They can be grilled, fried, or even put onto a sandwich. In this case, we're pan frying to get a nice, brown, caramelized crust, and then making a sauce to go over it with very few ingredients. Let's begin, shall we?

You're going to need (some of) the following:

You're going to need all of the things here that aren't fruits or veggies in their whole form. Those are for next time.

• 4 pork chops, 1+" thick
• 1 cup fresh apple cider
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Vegetable or canola oil to coast porkchops
• Salt / pepper

See those pork chops you gathered? Yeah, grab those. Pat them dry with a paper towel. Grab your oil, and give them a rub down, so they're lightly covered in oil. If you're doing this with company in the kitchen, make sure you find the closest person, and just stare intensely at them while doing it. It's not like you really need to pay attention to what you're doing. You're rubbing down your pork*, not launching the Space Shuttle.

*Not a euphemism. This is literally what you're supposed to be doing.

Expected result from your company while rubbing your meat* while staring at said company.

Once your pork chops are properly oiled up, generously salt and pepper them. I think I've mentioned it before, but please, freshly grind your pepper. When it sits in the little metal canister, it's going to lose potency, you'll need a lot more, and you don't look as impressive. You should look fancy and competent while grinding pepper, even if you are dumb enough to once get your legs stuck in a sculpture and need professional help getting out.

Yes, I am referencing old news. And yes, that is also a sculpture of exactly what it looks like.

Oh, right. The pork chops. Here they are! Oiled, peppered, salted, and ready to be cooked! Let them sit for a minute or two, while you heat up a pan on medium-high.

Hello, beautiful.

Now, let's talk about pans for a moment. I recommend a stainless steel frying pan that's going to comfortable fit all your pork chops. A stainless steel pan is going to be able to get hot enough to do some searing, while not getting so hot it releases some sketchy chemicals, or whatever people are worrying about these days. I use a large, 14" All-Clad pan, and I love it. It's oven-safe, can take huge heat, has a nice thick bottom, and works like a charm. Yes, All-Clad is expensive, but if you shop around, you can find a great deal. Personally, I was gifted mine, and I believe it was found at Ross for a pretty sizable discount. Check it out! Also worth mentioning is that when you use metal tools on a stainless pan, it's not going to screw the thing up. Always a plus.

By the time you've read the last paragraph, your pan is probably hot. Good job! You waited a minute or two! Take those chops, and chuck 'em in the pan! They're going to sizzle and start smelling delicious. But DO NOT touch them! Let them sit and get a nice brown crust on the bottom. It'll take a few minutes. They probably won't move around, and will release when they're ready; don't forcibly unstick them!

"I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go 'round and 'round"

 They're going to get all brown and delicious on one side, and you'll want to flip them. Do it! What we're trying to accomplish here is a good caramelization on the outside. This is the sugars heating up and making a crust on the pork. It seals in moisture, and adds huge flavor. The longer you do this, the more fond we're going to get. But we'll talk more on that in a minute.

Good. Cooked, browned, and delicious.

If you think they need more time, let them cook. However, we want to make sure they don't dry out -- I think a lot of people overcook their pork chops, thinking that they're some cesspool of bacteria. The USDA used to recommend that pork be cooked to 160F. However, they've recently relaxed the rule, stating that 145F is just fine. A little pink isn't going to hurt you. More info here, for those of you who think I have enough patience and lack enough self-respect to make this up. Just make sure your pork chops are cooked nearly-through, and they have a nice crust.

Caption: "Crust".

 Once they're cooked, set them on a plate, and cover with foil, so they stay warm. They're going to continue cooking while you do these next steps, so keep that in mind. Below, you'll see a photo of my fond, with some pork fat. Delicious! This is what's left in the pan.

Yes, it looks like crap. But you should look and say, "FLAVOR!"

 So, I don't have photos of making the sauce. The reason for this is that I needed to pay attention to my sauce, so I didn't bork it up while making it. So I enlisted The Girlfriend (formal title) to do video. I'll explain. I hope you enjoy my dulcet tones.

For those of you who are too lazy to watch a video for a few minutes, here's the break down. Put the heat at medium, and deglaze the pan with the apple cider. This will sizzle, and you'll get excited, but you need to pay attention, and start scraping those fond bits with a spoon. Wooden spoons are probably a good idea here. Once those bits are scraped up, add the garlic and Dijon mustard, and use a whisk to mix the whole shebang. Let the sauce continue to heat, and reduce in half. That means it's going to thicken up, and get way more intense in flavor. This is going to be great! Once it's reduced, turn off the heat, and whisk in the butter. This will finish the sauce. Do not reduce any further! Your sauce is done.

Once the sauce is done, Dip those chops into it, and plate those bad boys up. Spoon some more of that delicious sauce over, and call it a meal. I served mine with a fall mix that I'll be covering soon.

Approximately 30 seconds before being devoured by a wild Average Cook.

The savory pork mixed with the sweet sauce is divine; pork and fruit always go well together. I ted to take bites, mopping up that tasty sauce, and savoring every bite. It's fantastic. Mixed with the fall side, it's a great meal to celebrate the season, even if winter's a little early.

I'm actually on fire as we speak. Good luck, Hoth!

Enjoy! -AC

Dijon Cider Pork Chops

Recipe from Scott McDonald (Average Cook)

Serves 4 adults as a main, or you could cut them up into tiny bites on toothpicks and serve as really weird h'ordeuvres. Just kidding, that's stupid. 2-4 adults it is!

• 4 pork chops, 1+" thick
• 1 cup fresh apple cider
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Vegetable or canola oil to coast porkchops
• Salt / pepper

Pat the pork chops dry, and let them come to room temperature. Lightly cover with oil and generously salt/pepper to taste. Heat stainless pan with medium-high heat, and add pork chops. Sear/brown on each side, until fully cooked. Pull chops from the pan and reserve, loosely covered in foil. Lower heat to medium, and deglaze pan with apple cider. Once deglazed, add garlic and mustard, and whisk to combine. Reduce by half. Turn off heat and whisk in butter. Salt/pepper to taste, then add pork chops back to the pan to coat. Plate, and spoon extra sauce over chops.