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Apple Pie Sweet Tea Pork Chops

Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword apple chutney, apple hash, apple pie, apples, brined pork chops, cranberries, pork chops, sweet tea
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 35 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

Pork Chop Brine

  • 8 Pork Chops
  • 6 Tea Bags
  • 2 cups Hot Water
  • 2 cups Cold Water
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Table Salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Apple Pie Spice

Apple Cranberry Chutney

  • 2 Cups Apples - mixed varieties, peeled and diced I like using Jonagold and Granny Smith
  • 1/4 Cup Sweet Onion, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Dried Cranberries
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Cooking the Pork Chops

  • 8 Brined Pork Chops
  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Fresh Parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Pork Chop Brine

  1. Boil 2 cups of water. Brew the tea bags in hot water for 10 minutes. Add the cold water to the tea to cool it off.

  2. Pour the tea into a container to brine the pork chops. Mix in and dissolve the sugar and salt. Mix in the apple pie spice.

  3. Add the pork chops and cover. Please the container in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

Apple Cranberry Chutney

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat up the canola oil and butter. Add in the apples and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

  2. Add in the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and cranberries. Mix until the brown sugar is dissolved.

Cooking the Pork Chops

  1. Heat the canola oil in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brined pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side until they read 145℉ on an instant read thermometer. Let the chops rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.

  2. Place some apple cranberry chutney on top of the pork chops or on the side and garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

Brining. As I mentioned earlier, brining is one of the most valuable things to do to ensure pork chops do not dry out. So don't skimp on this step. For optimal flavor, I recommend brining the pork chops 24 hours.

Bring to Room Temp. Take the pork chops out of the fridge 1 hour before you start cooking. Leave them in the brine but remove the lid. This will warm them up enough so they will cook evenly without burning.

Be Care of the Burn! Since the chops have been brining in sugar, they will crisp up and get a little charred. So you have to be careful! Keep an eye on them. Even if you have to flip them over more than once, that's ok. Just be careful not to have the heat up too high!

Use that Thermometer! Don't guess. Use an instant read thermometer to be sure you get an accurate reading.

Variations

Use a Variety Of Apple. This is a recipe you can play around with a bit. Try different apples to make the chuteny your own! But do your reasearch! Not all apples are good for cooking. Stick with Fuji, Gala, and Honeycrisp, (sweet), Ambrosia, Jonagold, Golden Delicious (mid-range), and Granny Smith and Pink Lady (tart).

Add Some Potatoes. Adding some diced potatoes will make the chutney into a has for an expanded and delicous variety!