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I’m back with the blog’s second sous vide recipe! In case you missed it a few months back, I posted a chicken recipe utilizing the sous vide that is a delight to consume, just like this recipe is. Sous vide is by far my favorite way to cook protein, and it’s the only way I’ll cook an expensive cut of meat (think filet mignon) because it’s incredibly difficult to mess up. I’m all for a forgiving recipe! Have you seen the price of food these days?

Pork chops are my mom’s favorite protein, and they have been ever since I can remember. So, we ate a LOT of pork growing up. She was really big into the whole dredging in the flour, egg, and breadcrumb thing and then baking them in the oven. But all I ever remember from her pork chop dinners were that they were so incredibly dry. Mom, if you’re reading this, I apologize for that little truth bomb. I haven’t tried baking pork chops myself as an adult because I really don’t have the desire to. So a few years back, when we purchased a ButcherBox subscription, I have to admit I groaned a little bit on the inside when I opened up one of my first few boxes to see…pork chops. Dun dun dun. My childhood food nemesis. Okay, one of several, but still. I was not excited about it. Dry, baked pork chops were all I ever knew. But this was also right around the time that Mike gifted me a sous vide for my birthday. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I might not loathe pork chops if I used another method to cook them.

So, long story short, sous vide is the only method I shall use to cook my pork chops until the end of my days. They’re so juicy, they’re so flavorful, they don’t get all dried out and gross, and if you’ve got a little extra time, you can make a truly delightful little pan sauce at the end to pour over your chops. Mike states these are the best pork chops he’s ever had in his life and…he isn’t wrong about that.

thehungryhungryhiker

Sous Vide Pork Chops with Apple Butter Pan Sauce

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 boneless pork chops about 8 ounces each
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp dried ginger
  • ½ tsp dried sage
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp ghee divided, can use butter if not Whole30
  • 2 tbsp chicken broth or water
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 Honeycrisp apple small, cored and diced to ½"

Equipment

  • Sous vide

Method
 

  1. Set up your sous vide water bath. Turn the sous vide on and set the temperature to 140° F.
  2. Place the pork chops on a flat surface and pat dry all over.
  3. To a small bowl, add the sea salt, black pepper, ginger, sage, garlic, and cinnamon and stir with a spoon until combined. Distribute evenly over the pork chops and use your hands to rub the spice mixture in. Place the pork chops into the sous vide bag. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and 2 tbsp of chicken broth or water. Once the water bath comes to temperature, place the bag into the water bath and secure. Leave in the water bath for at least one hour and up to three hours.
  4. After the sous vide time is up, remove the pork chops from the bag and pat dry all over. Reserve the liquid in the bag and set aside.
  5. Place a medium skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add 2 tbsp avocado oil. When the skillet is very hot but not smoking, gently place the pork chops in the skillet. Sear for 30 seconds, then flip. Sear for 30 seconds, then add 1 tbsp of ghee to the skillet and swirl the skillet to distribute the fat. Sear for 30 seconds on each side and then remove the pork chops from the skillet and place on a plate. Turn the burner off. Tent a piece of foil or parchment paper loosely over the pork to keep it warm and let it rest.
  6. There should be a good amount of fat remaining in the skillet. If there is not, add a little more ghee. Once melted, add the diced apple to the skillet and season with a little sea salt. Sauté 4-5 minutes until very fragrant and starting to brown and soften. Add all of the reserved liquid from the sous vide bag to the skillet. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to release any bits of pork that may be stuck to the bottom. Turn the burner on to medium high and sauté 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced and the apples are very soft and starting to break down.
  7. To serve, place one pork chop on a plate. Spoon the chopped apples and the pan sauce over the pork chops, serve hot, and enjoy!