Description
These pork chops get a hard sear in cast iron and then a glaze of bourbon, honey, and butter that reduces into a sticky, smoky-sweet sauce. The bourbon burns off but leaves behind a deep warmth that straight honey cannot match. It is a fifteen-minute dinner that looks and tastes like date night cooking.
Ingredients
Units
- 4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Pat the pork chops dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Sear the chops 4 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and garlic to the skillet. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully add the bourbon. Return to heat and let it simmer vigorously for 1 minute, scraping up the fond.
- Stir in honey, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, and thyme. Simmer 3 minutes until the glaze thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Return the pork chops to the skillet. Spoon the glaze over the chops repeatedly, basting for 2 minutes until they are glossy and the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving with the pan sauce spooned over the top.
Notes
- Remove the skillet from the heat before adding bourbon — pouring alcohol into a hot pan on a burner can ignite. Let it simmer after returning to heat.
- Bone-in chops are essential here. The bone keeps the meat juicier during the high-heat sear.
- The glaze should be thick enough to coat the chops, not a thin liquid. If it seems runny, simmer another minute before adding the chops back.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 720
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Protein: 38
- Cholesterol: 100