Recipe: Pan-Seared Pork Chops With Parsnip-Apple Purée
The ultimate pork chop basted in butter until perfectly golden
We get it: Pork chops can be intimidating, especially when they're the thick, bone-in variety. But with our expert technique, this seemingly daunting task actually couldn't be any easier. With just a cast-iron pan, you can have perfectly juicy pork chops in no time. And to fancy up your next weeknight dinner, we update the classic pork-applesauce pairing with a savory parsnip-and-apple purée (watch the video).
Some recommend finishing pork chops in the oven, but ours cook completely in the pan-which is why it's important to sear with olive oil before adding the butter to baste. This ensures golden pork chops that will be bathed in butter without burning. After you've cooked them, all you have to do for a perfectly juicy chop is let them rest before carving.
To learn more, read "Culinary Institute: Pork Chops."
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Parsnip-Apple Purée
Perfect the classic pork chop, then serve it over a velvety parsnip-and-apple purée.
Ingredients
- :::For the Parsnip-Apple Purée:5 tablespoons butter:::
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound (5 medium) parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 Honeycrisp apples—peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced sage leaves
- 2 cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- :::For the Pork Chops:2 tablespoons olive oil:::
- 1 sage sprig, plus 12 leaves
- Two 12-ounce bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
Directions
- Make the parsnip-apple purée: In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and caramelized, 12 minutes. Add the parsnips, apples and garlic, and cook until golden brown, 8 minutes. Stir in the orange zest, thyme and sage, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced slightly, 20 minutes. Working in batches, transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Scrape back into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Make the pork chops: In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Add the 12 sage leaves to the pan and fry until golden and crisp, 10 to 20 seconds, then transfer to the prepared plate.
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the chops, flipping once, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining sage sprig, the butter, thyme and garlic. Cook until the herbs are fragrant, 1 minute, then return the pork chops to the pan. Cook, flipping once and basting constantly until an internal temperature of 140° is reached, 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before carving into thick slices.
- Divide the purée and pork between plates. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 560 |
| Total Fat | 28.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 13.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.7 g |
| Cholesterol | 129.8 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 46.4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 18.2 g |
| Sodium | 1,298.1 mg |
| Protein | 32.6 g |
