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Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Pork chops cooked with caramelized apples, brown sugar, butter, and spices, topped with pecans.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Ingredients

Directions

Sear the chops

  1. Heat skillet over medium high heat.

  2. Brush chops lightly with oil and cook for 6 minutes, turning occasionally until evenly browned.

  3. Remove chops and keep warm.

Make the apple sauce

  1. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.

  2. Add butter to skillet, then stir in brown sugar mixture and apples.

  3. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.

  4. Remove apples with a slotted spoon, arrange on top of chops, and keep warm.

  5. Continue cooking mixture in skillet uncovered until sauce thickens slightly.

  6. Spoon sauce over apples and chops.

  7. Sprinkle with pecans.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

827Calories
31 gProtein
61 gFat
46 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Pork100g cooked242
Pecans1 oz (28g / ~19 halves)196
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Apple1 medium (182g)95
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Cinnamon1 tsp ground (2.6g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together11,917 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Cinnamon + appletop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,598 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  3. Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together13,015 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  4. Cinnamon + pecanstop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,047 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  5. Pepper + cinnamontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,890 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Pork loin chops
Main protein; searing browns the surface while the interior cooks through.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness and helps the sauce brown and thicken as it cooks down.
Butter
Adds fat and richness to the pan sauce and helps carry the spices.
Apples
Soften while cooking and add tart fruit flavour that balances the sweet sauce.
Pecans
Add crunchy texture and toasty flavour to finish the dish.

The step that matters

Continue cooking the sauce uncovered until it thickens slightly. Sugar and butter concentrate as liquid evaporates, so cooking uncovered lets the sauce reduce and thicken. Covered, it stays thin and watery.

Swap the pecans

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, sugar, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, apple):

  1. Chestnutfits better
  2. Almondfits better
  3. Walnutfits better
  4. Pecansthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pork, sugar, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, apple. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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