Apple Butter Pork Chops
 
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in, center-cut pork chops
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 Gala apple, cored and chopped
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
  • ½ cup thinly sliced sweet onion
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 (12-ounce) jar apple butter
  • Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. In a large bowl, combine pork chops, oil, salt, and pepper. Rub each pork chop to evenly coat with oil mixture. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  3. In a 12-inch enamel-coated cast-iron skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crispy, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and let drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings in skillet.
  4. In same skillet, cook pork chops in drippings over medium heat until browned, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet.
  5. Add butter to skillet and cook until melted. Add apples, onion, rosemary, and ginger paste; cook until apples are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Stir in apple butter. Return pork chops to skillet, turning pork chops to coat with apple mixture.
  7. Place skillet in oven and bake until pork chops are cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part near the bone registers 160°, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Top with bacon to serve. Garnish with rosemary, if desired.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/apple-butter-pork-chops/