TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: Thick, juicy bone-in pork chops rubbed with a zesty mustard-spice blend, pan-seared then oven-finished, and served alongside warm, homey applesauce.
- Why you’ll love it: A timeless, comfort-food classic that guarantees tender meat every time. It’s effortless enough for weeknights but elegant enough for Sunday supper.
- How to make it: Rub chops with the mustard-spice mix, sear in a hot skillet until golden, then roast until tender. Serve immediately with warm applesauce.
Here, a simple dry rub seasons the meat with extra flavor, and applesauce makes an ideal condiment. For a twist on the garnish, I love to fry the sage leaves in hot oil until crisp. An excellent savory bite.
Now, you know how much I dislike testing and curating recipes that call for expensive ingredients. I always try to develop and test recipes that use plain-ole supermarket ingredients. But this is one case where opting for a special ingredient will make or break the dish.
Regular pork is so lean, tasteless, and often dry and chewy that I need to either load it up with sauce or flash-fry it in a blisteringly hot pan to avoid drying it out.
For a dish like these pork chops, which relies on just a few ingredients, the quality of the pork is crucial. If you can, spring for heritage pork. It’s so good, you may leave me something in your will!
Chow,
Featured Review
Having recently relocating, we actually have a butcher, Momma’s Meats, what a blessing! We thought we would try their smoked pork chops; I’m certain they’re cold smoked with apple. This recipe was straightforward, quick prep and a ome-pan wonder, albeit the applesauce.
The pork chops had a great crust, and we’re so juicy and tender inside, bursting with flavor. Now, to the applesauce. Hubby love’s the stuff, me not so much. That said, I had never made it myself. This recipe was easy and it was just yummilicious. Forget about Motts! I followed both recipes as written, it was a beautiful meal on a cold night! Thanks again, Leite’s for the win!!
BBQGoddess
Ingredient Spotlight: Berkshire Pork
Berkshire pork is arguably the most famous and highly prized of the heritage breeds and is my favorite. It originated in the English county of Berkshire over 300 years ago. It was exported to Japan, where it’s known as Kurobuta (black pig) and is held in the same high regard as Kobe or Wagyu beef.
Why I Love It:
- Marbling: Unlike regular, supermarket pork, which has a thick fat cap but very lean meat, Berkshire meat is laced with fine streaks of fat throughout. As it cooks, this fat renders, basting the meat from the inside out.
- Color and Texture: The meat is gorgeous—it’s a deep, rosy pink (darker than supermarket pork) and has a firmer, smoother texture.
- Higher pH Balance: Berkshire meat has a higher pH than standard pork. So what does that mean in regular-folk English? The meat is less acidic, allowing the muscle fibers to hold onto water better. This makes it way harder to dry out during cooking.
- Flavor Profile: I find it has a cleaner, sweeter, and richer flavor without that metallic or blah taste I find with mass-market pork.
Commodity Pork vs. Berkshire Pork
| Feature | Commodity Pork | Berkshire (Heritage) |
| Breeding | Leanness & Speed | Flavor + Texture |
| Fat Content | External fat cap, very lean meat | High intramuscular marbling |
| Meat Color | Pale pink / white | Deep rosy red |
| Cooking Risk | Dries out easily | Forgiving; stays juicy |
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Heritage pork comes from traditional breeds of pigs that were raised on farms before the rise of modern industrial factory farming.
The Difference: Modern commercial pigs (“commodity pork”) are bred primarily for fast growth and extreme leanness. Think “The Other White Meat.” This often results in a bite that’s pale, dry, and blah-tasting.
Heritage Breeds: These pigs (like Duroc, Tamworth, and Berkshire) are bred for flavor, foraging ability, and hardiness. They grow more slowly, aren’t force-fed, and naturally develop more marbling. Marbling = flavor + tenderness.
Finding true Berkshire (Kurobuta) pork is easier than ever, though it often requires looking beyond the supermarket meat counters. We can find it at our local specialty food store. Give a dedicated butcher shop or specialty shops a call. If you come up empty-handed, check out these online purveyors. (I don’t make any money if you make a purchase; I wanted you to have access to the best sources.)
1. Snake River Farms: The most famous US supplier. They market their meat as “Kurobuta” (the Japanese term for Berkshire) and are the primary supplier for many high-end steakhouses.
2. D’Artagnan: A major gourmet food distributor often used by fine-dining restaurants; they sell Berkshire chops, bacon, and hams to home cooks.
3. Heritage Foods: A company dedicated specifically to preserving heritage breeds. They often sell “sampler packs” or specific cuts of Berkshire, Red Wattle, and other breeds.
4. Crowd Cow: A marketplace that connects home cooks with independent farms.
More Delicious Pork + Apple Recipes
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If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Pork Chops with Applesauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 (8-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops, 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick
- store-bought or homemade applesauce, for serving
- fresh or fried sage leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, pinch of cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to mix well.
- Rub the chops on both sides with the spice mix. If desired, place the chops on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day (remove the chops from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before roasting).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In an ovenproof skillet over high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the 4 (8-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops, 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick and sear, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Move the skillet to the oven. Roast the chops until the juices released when pierced with a knife are rosy, or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a chop away from the bone registers 145° to 150°F (63° to 65°C), 13 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, warm the store-bought or homemade applesauce.
- Arrange the chops an a warmed platter or individual plates and garnish with the fresh or fried sage leaves, if desired. Pass the warmed applesauce at the table.
Notes
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Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I was interested to make this recipe because it was quite simple, the chops were something I had already, and wondered if I could improve on what I was already doing. I loved the simplicity of this recipe for pork chops with applesauce and that it had few ingredients. If I was making the recipe again, I’d fry the sage leaves in butter, rather than in oil, for extra richness.
I served the chops with gravy, applesauce, mashed potatoes, peas, sweetcorn, and rose wine (white zinfandel). This recipe basically details how I would cook pork chops—a quick sear on top of the cooker and then cook the meat more thoroughly in the oven. I liked the addition of the applesauce and the fried sage leaves. I’d do these additions again. If you’re unsure how to go about cooking chops then I think this is a good method to follow.
Although the pairing of pork and apples is anything but new, this recipe for pork chops with applesauce somehow elevates both to another level of elegance. Could it be the simple tangy rub? Perhaps. Or is it the crispy fried sage leaves topping it all? Could be. In the end, I think it’s the simple combination of it all. Proof that you really can’t go wrong with simple, quality ingredients, tried-and-true cooking methods, and classic flavor combinations.
I liked the idea of combining a pinch of cayenne with the peppercorn-mustard rub–it gave the peppery crust a bit of heat which I liked. My pork chops each weighed 8 oz., and I had homemade applesauce in the freezer that I’d made a few weeks back, so I thawed that and used it here. I did opt for the crispy fried sage leaves and think that it should be a requirement for the recipe! It really added a last-minute pop of flavor and color to the plate, as well as texture to the tender pork and smooth applesauce. I served my pork chops with the applesauce, some haricots verts with a bit of feta, and some caramelized onion mashed potatoes. This dinner was a real hit.
I like making a simple dinner that delivers on taste. These pork chops with applesauce are easy to make and are very tasty. And making the spice rub ahead and then letting pork chops sit for the day really enhances the overall flavor. I used my cast-iron, enamel-coated pan for this recipe. It is a versatile pan that lets me fry, then goes right into the oven and does an excellent job of roasting.
The applesauce took me back to childhood for this accompaniment was a must-have at family meals when pork chops were the entree. Heating up the applesauce is a must as to not cool off the pork chops. As for the sage, I found that it wasn’t central to this recipe. That said, I didn’t fry the leaves and that may have made a difference. If you’re looking for a change to your usual pork chop dinner, give this recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed.
You can’t go wrong with this pork chop and applesauce recipe. It’s a classic combination and the spice rub very nicely pumps up the flavor profile. The cooking method is spot-on—always the best way to get flavor into your proteins with a quick searing on the cooktop and then finishing in the oven for a perfect degree of doneness. I served these with roasted red peppers and cauliflower.
This easy pork chop with applesauce recipe is both delicious and impressive. The fried sage leaves make a unique and flavorful garnish. Applesauce is a must with pork chops and making applesauce is much easier than it would seem. I used my own simple recipe using three apples, maple syrup, a cinnamon stick and a few tablespoons of water.
I served the pork chops with a choice of orzo, basil and tomato salad, or roasted potatoes. My daughter loves pork chops with roasted potatoes.
This is a simple preparation for pork chops with applesauce that uses ingredients often on hand. I think it could have used a bit more zing of flavor but a solid weeknight meal. This made four servings and paired very well with mustardy potatoes recipe.
Having recently relocating, we actually have a butcher, Momma’s Meats, what a blessing! We thought we would try their smoked pork chops; I’m certain they’re cold smoked with apple. This recipe was straightforward, quick prep and a ome-pan wonder, albeit the applesauce.
The pork chops had a great crust, and we’re so juicy and tender inside, bursting with flavor. Now, to the applesauce. Hubby love’s the stuff, me not so much. That said, I had never made it myself. This recipe was easy and it was just yummilicious. Forget about Motts! I followed both recipes as written, it was a beautiful meal on a cold night! Thanks again, Leite’s for the win!!
BBQGoddess, can we take a moment to celebrate the blessing of a good local butcher? Momma’s Meats sounds like the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve landed in exactly the right town.
I love that those apple-smoked chops delivered such a glorious crust and stayed so juicy—music to my ears. And your applesauce confession? You had me grinning. A self-proclaimed non-lover who ends up calling it yummilicious? Are you kidding me? That absolutely makes my day.
Please give my compliments to the hubs, too—applesauce loyalties are serious business. And thank you for trusting both recipes as written. Fantabulous to hear they made your first chilly-night dinner in your new place such a win.