Skillet Pork Chops with Maple Pears

Colder evenings spark a craving for the warm comfort of savory-sweet recipes like Skillet Pork Chops with Maple-Mustard Pears.

Using just one skillet for juicy, tender pork chops and sautéed in-season pears, weeknight dinner is a breeze!

Ingredients of note

PORK CHOPS: If available, use bone-in chops for more evenly cooked (and therefore tender) and more flavorful meat. That said, boneless pork chops are affordable and readily available, and they'll work fine here too.

PEARS: I used both Bosc and Red Bartlett pears in this skillet - I love the multicolored autumn vibes! That said, Bosc is the gold standard for cooking since it tends to have a firmer texture so it holds up well when sautéeing. If you choose Bartlett, try to grab firmer, not yet fully ripe pears.

MAPLE SYRUP: Be sure to use pure maple syrup, not maple-flavored syrup for the best flavor!

MUSTARD: My go-tos are whole grain or stoneground mustard. I love seeing the specks of the mustard grain in savory recipes like this! That said, Dijon should work as a substitute if it's all you've got.

GINGER: A little fresh ginger amps up the fall flavor here. If you don't have fresh, feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon ground.

BROTH: Feel free to use either beef or chicken broth for this recipe; both work well with pork. I used chicken broth because I already had an open carton in the fridge!

Instructions

• (Optional, but recommended) Brine the pork chops - Brining in a solution of 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 2 cups water ensures the pork chops stay juicy and tender. I suggest starting a brine the night before or morning of, but even an hour-long brine can go a long way!
• Combine sauce ingredients - Whisk together maple syrup, white wine vinegar, and mustard.
• Sear pork chops - Partially cook the pork chops over medium-high heat, for about 3 minutes on each side before removing to a plate.
• Sauté onion and garlic - In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic before deglazing the pan with the maple syrup mixture.
• Add broth, pears, and pork chops back to the skillet - Slowly pour in the broth, the add the pears and stir to coat. Make room for the pork chops and add them back to the skillet, simmering for 8 minutes or until the pork chops reach 145 degrees F.

Substitution Suggestions

Need to make a few swaps? Here are a few I know will work well!

- Use Dijon mustard. If you don't have stone ground or whole grain mustard, use Dijon. Don't use yellow mustard.

- Use apples. No pears? No problem. Sub in firm apples, like Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp.

- Boneless over bone-in pork chops. If you'd prefer boneless pork chops, go for it - the cooking time may change a bit, though!

- Chicken instead of pork. Love the sound of this recipe, but want to use chicken? I think bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs would work wonderfully for this recipe! Start searing skin side down and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, then proceed as instructed. Shoot for a done temp of 165 degrees F.

Top tips from Chelsea

Don't overcrowd the pan. Make sure you're using a large enough skillet and you aren't tempted to just toss in more pears! If making 4 smaller pork chops instead of 2 larger ones, you may have to work in batches.

Brine the pork chops. It's a simple step that makes the pork chops MUCH juicier. You can skip this in a pinch, but if you have a few minutes the morning you plan to make these - brine the chops!

Use firm pears. Pears that are too soft, that might otherwise be great for munching raw, won't hold their shape well when cooking.