Cider Glazed Pork Chops

This is the perfect fall dish. It is a great blend of sweet and savory. As soon as apple season comes around, I hit the local apple orchard for fresh cider just to make this dish!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  sirloin  pork chops, trimmed of visible fat and the thickness can range from 1/2-inch thick to 3/4-inch (about 1 1/2 pounds)
•  fresh ground pepper
•  salt (optional)
• 2  teaspoons olive oil (canola oil can be used)
• 1  cup apple cider (sparkling cider can be used)
• 1  tablespoon  packed brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons cider vinegar (I have used plain white vinegar as well with no taste difference)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground mustard (add a pinch or two more to taste if desired)

Directions

1. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season each side with a sprinkling of pepper, and salt if desired. Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat until just hot then add pork chops and brown both sides (around 5 minutes if your pork chops are around 1/2-inch thick).
2. Stir cider and brown sugar together and add to the frying pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer the pork chops, uncovered, turning the chops after a minute, until the meat is almost cooked through but not quite (about 2 minutes). Remove pork chops to a plate with a fork.
3. Add the vinegar and ground mustard to the frying pan juices and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Continue to cook until the glaze mixture is reduced to about 1/3 cup. It will take 5 to 10 minutes. The cider mixture will get bubbly when it is just about at the syrup/glaze stage.
4. Turn off heat. Place the pork chops back in the frying pan along with any juices that formed on the bottom of the plate.
5. Flip chops over to coat both sides with the cider glaze, cover frying pan and let sit for a minute or two to blend flavors. Check thickest part of the pork chop for desired doneness and serve.