Pork Chops with Spiced Apple Cider and Bourbon Reduction

We got a gallon of apple cider at the grocery store, and I wanted to use it to make a sauce to go with some pork chops. This is what I came up with. It turned out really good! The pork was incredibly moist, and the sauce was very flavorful. Next time, I won't bother with the flour because it was a little soggy, but otherwise it was wonderful.

Pork Chops with Spiced Apple Cider and Bourbon Reduction
Ashley Covelli

For Sauce:

1 cup apple cider
½ cup bourbon
4 black peppercorns
1 Turkish bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
2 cloves
1 dried chile arbol, torn into 3 pieces
kosher salt

Bring ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan and allow to reduce, stirring occasionally. Before it gets too thick, strain out the large pieces of spice and pour liquid back into the pan. Allow to thicken to desired consistency.

For Pork Chops:

2 center cut pork chops
flour for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste
vegetable or canola oil

Pat chops dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and dust with flower, shaking off excess. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop and add oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear pork chops on both sides until nice and brown, and then slide into the oven to finish the cooking (my oven was at 400°F because I had something else in there).

Serve pork chops with glaze drizzled over top. Enjoy!

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars