Don’t you love when you can have a fall meal, but it’s still warm enough to grill? This dish is a fall-favorite in my household – we make it a few times every October. It gives you those delicious fall flavors, but with those smokey, grilled flavors added in, the perfect combination for an easy early fall meal! Pork chops, apples and brussels sprouts go to together so perfectly, and using the glaze on all three elements brings everything together.
What You’ll Need
For the pork chops, you’ll need bone-in pork chops, brown sugar, garlic powder cinnamon, ground cloves, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.
For the glaze, which you’ll use on the pork chops, apples and brussels sprouts, you’ll need spiced apple cider, brown sugar, salted butter, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt & pepper, and stone ground OR dijon mustard.
Lastly, you’ll need apples (I used Gala) and brussels sprouts for your sides.
Getting Started
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. If you prefer to cook inside, heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the rub ingredients and stir until well combined, then rub onto the pork chops, ensuring they are fully and evenly covered.
Half the apples.
Stem and half the brussels sprouts then add olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to combine. If you have any larger sprouts, quarter them.
Arrange the sprouts, cut side down, on a prepared baking sheet, then bake for about 20-30 minutes, until crispy.
Make the Glaze
To start the glaze, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking to combine. Carefully remove about half the glaze, then reduce the heat to medium and allow to reduce and thicken for about 20 minutes.
Grill Pork Chops and Apples
Baste the cut side of the apples and add to the grill, off direct heat if possible, cut side down. Add the pork chops and baste.
After about 3-5 minutes, flip the pork chops and baste with the glaze again. Repeat until pork chops begin to form a “bark” and are cooked through to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 15-20 minutes.
Keep an eye on the apples, they should begin to soften and caramelize. Once you see deep grill marks and the apples are soft, remove from heat. To keep the apples warm, which I recommend, you can move them to the warming rack of your grill, or move to a plate and tent with foil.
Once the pork chops are done, move to a plate and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
Once the glaze has thickened and the brussels sprouts are cooked, remove the glaze from the heat and the sprouts from the oven.
Add the sprouts to a serving bowl and toss with glaze, to taste. I recommend adding a little bit of glaze at a time, about 2 tablespoons, so the sprouts don’t get to soggy or overly glazed.
Plate the Steak & Risotto
Add the pork chops, brussels sprouts and apples to a plate, serve with additional glaze on the side.
Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Grilled Apples
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Pork Chops
- 6 bone-in pork chops
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Apple Cider Glaze
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups spiced apple cider
- 3/4 cups brown sugar
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
- a pinch each of cinnamon and ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons stone ground OR dijon mustard
Brussels Sprouts
- 2 pounds brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Apples
- 6 apples (I used gala)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. If you prefer to cook inside, heat a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine the rub ingredients and stir until well combined, then rub onto the pork chops, ensuring they are fully and evenly covered.
- Half the apples.
- Stem and half the brussels sprouts then add olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to combine. If you have any larger sprouts, quarter them.
- Arrange the sprouts, cut side down, on a prepared baking sheet, then bake for about 20-30 minutes, until crispy.
- To start the glaze, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking to combine.
- Carefully remove about half the glaze, then reduce the heat to medium and allow to reduce and thicken for about 20 minutes.
- Baste the cut side of the apples with the reserved glaze and add to the grill, off direct heat if possible, cut side down.
- Add the pork chops to the grill and baste with the reserved glaze.
- After about 3-5 minutes, flip the pork chops and baste with the glaze again. Repeat until pork chops begin to form a “bark” and are cooked through to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 15-20 minutes.
- Keep an eye on the apples, they should begin to soften and caramelize. Once you see deep grill marks and the apples are soft, remove from heat. To keep the apples warm, which I recommend, you can move them to the warming rack of your grill, or move to a plate and tent with foil.
- Once the pork chops are done, move to a plate and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.
- Once the glaze has thickened and the brussels sprouts are cooked, remove the glaze from the heat and the sprouts from the oven.
- Add the sprouts to a serving bowl and toss with glaze, to taste. I recommend adding a little bit of glaze at a time, about 2 tablespoons, so the sprouts don’t get to soggy or overly glazed.
- Add the pork chops, brussels sprouts and apples to a plate, serve with additional glaze on the side.
Basil & Thyme 