Apple Jack Pork Chops

I love a cheeky recipe name, yes I do. APPLE JACK PORK CHOPS. These chops, as you might guess, get their monicker from the not-so-subtle addition of whiskey into the marinade/glaze. Jack Daniels Pork Chops are very much a thing – the sort of dish you might order off like, a TGI Friday’s menu, or Applebee’s, or …

But here, I’m dialing up the flavors in a classic by sneaking in a splash of sweet vanilla, some apples and onion, some warming allspice, and some amber-hued apple cider. It probably reads very sweet to you, and I’d agree. But it ends up perfectly balanced, thanks to the savory, fatty pork, the mustard, the garlic powder, and of course, the salt we’ll season with along the way.

The marinade does double duty as the glaze, and it smells heavenly as it all bubbles away on the stove. It gets richer and thicker and just as it hits that point – we’ll add a healthy bit of butter to “mount” the sauce, really glossing it out, and turning it into a showstopper.

This one is locked, loaded and very ready to adorn your autumnal dinner tables.

The Breakdown

This easy pork chop recipe is exactly the kind of food that I want to be eating this time of year – it’s rustic, beautiful, seasonally apropos, and very delicious. This is my week of one-pan meals, apparently, (okay fine, most of my weeks are weeks of one-pan meals), and this one is just really cool. Thick-cut pork chops get a boozy whiskey and cider-infused marinade that doubles as a sticky glaze.

What I love about this pork and apples situation are the little details that complete the picture, making the underlying flavors in this dish especially memorable. A little splash of vanilla, a sprinkle of warming allspice, salty apples, creamy butter to gloss out the sauce at the end … it’s wonderful, and here’s how we do it:

What you’ll need:

4 bone-in pork chops

¾ cup whiskey (such as Jack Daniels)

¾ cup apple cider

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper, as needed

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp allspice

Olive or grapeseed oil, for cooking

2 cups sliced apples

1 cup sliced sweet onion

2 TBSP butter

How to Make These Pork Chops with Apples:

In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the whiskey, apple cider, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, vanilla, garlic powder, allspice, and about 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Place the chops in a large zip-top bag or in a dish and pour ⅓ cup of this marinade over top (reserve the rest for the sauce). Coat the chops, cover or zip closed, and place them in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.

When they’ve marinated, place a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and add about 1 TBSP cooking oil. Season the chops with salt and pepper and, when the oil is hot and shimmering, brown the pork chops on both sides until nice and crusty brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or tray to rest for now and reduce the heat to medium.

If needed, add a little more oil to the pan, and add the sliced apples and onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and saute until tender; about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the reserved sauce/glaze mixture into the skillet and simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced and thickened; about 5 minutes. 

Add the butter to the pan and stir to melt and combine. Add the chops to the pan, spoon some of the glaze over top of them, and place in the oven until cooked through (160 degrees F, or very light pink in the center).

If you like the looks of these Apple Jack Pork Chops, you might want to check out:

Sticky Maple Balsamic Pork Chops with Plums

Roasted Honey Garlic Pork Loin with Veggies

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