Seared Pork Chops with Granny Smith Apple and Onion Sauce

Here's another Elsa original recipe. So simple but so good...enjoy!

The Recipe:

• 3 or 4 boneless pork chops
• 2 teaspoons dry thyme
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil (some for pork chops and some for sauce)
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

The Method:

• Place pork chops on a plate and season both sides well with salt and pepper and the thyme. Rub 2 of the tablespoons of olive oil on them and let sit (out of the fridge in order to get to room temp.) for about 30 min.

The sauce: (you can start while the pork is marinating)

• Heat small saucepan and add butter and the rest of the olive oil.
• Once butter is melted, add chopped onions and apples and turn heat to low. Season with some salt and pepper.
• Add the balsamic vinegar, stir and let saute/simmer for 20-30 minutes (stirring occasionally to prevent burning)
  

Back to the pork:

• Heat a large skillet and cook pork on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes each side or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees (stick thermometer in sideways to make sure you are getting the inside temp.)
• Once pork is done, remove and from pan and loosely cover with foil. Let meat rest for at least 10 minutes (to keep all the juices in)
• To serve, spoon sauce over pork (see below)

Here are some pics from along the way...

First step: seasoning the pork

The finished product

I topped it off with my "go-to potatoes" (I'll have to post the recipe at some point)
and a yummy spinach salad

Extra tips:
*** (This one is highly recommended!) To give the sauce even more flavor, pour the sauce into the pork pan (after removing the finished pork) and continue to saute for a few more minutes. The sauce picks up all the left over flavor from the pork. Trust me, it makes a difference!

**** (This one is also highly recommended!!) To prevent the pork chops from curling up on the sides when you cook them (this really annoys me!), cut slits into the fat on the sides of the chops (at least three slits) before cooking.