Maple Balsamic Pork Chops Recipe

This post was written by Jennafer Ashley of PaleoHacks.

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Pork chops are pan seared to perfection and coated in a sweet-n-salty maple balsamic glaze for a protein-packed dinner that is ready for the table in 30 minutes.

Juicy, boneless pork chops truly shine in this simple recipe. A rich maple balsamic glaze, infused with garlic and thyme, creates a lip-smacking comfort food dish you’ll love in the cooler months.

Preparation & Cooking With Ghee

Cooking with ghee, much like butter, adds incredible flavor when married with the juices from meat. Ghee has a much higher smoke point, and is also rich in CLA, making it great for pan searing at high heat.

Start by creating the maple balsamic glaze. Combine maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, beef broth, garlic and thyme in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes uncovered to reduce.

To prepare the chops, pat them dry with a paper towel and season on each side with salt and pepper. Melt ghee on a pan over medium-high heat. Allow the pan to become very hot before adding the pork chops to ensure a deep brown crust. Cook pork chops 6-8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Turn pork chops over and brush a few teaspoons of glaze over the top. Continue to cook 2 minutes longer. Finish with additional glaze and thyme just before serving.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Tools

Saucepan

Medium pan/skillet

Basting brush

Ingredients

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 T balsamic vinegar

3 T beef broth

1 clove of garlic, minced

1-2 sprigs of thyme

1 T ghee

4 boneless pork chops

1/2 t sea salt

1/4 t black pepper

How to Make It

Heat maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, broth, garlic, and thyme in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer 5-7 minutes to reduce glaze. Set aside.
In a medium pan, melt ghee over medium/high heat. Pat pork chops dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place chops on pan and sear for 6-8 minutes each side.
Brush chops with a few teaspoons of glaze and continue to cook 2 minutes longer. Serve hot drizzled with additional glaze.

Jennafer Ashley is a Recipe Developer and Food Photographer. She is the girl behind the healthy recipes at Fresh and Fit, her recipe development company and blog of the same name. Jennafer loves to cook recipes that suit a variety of diet lifestyles- from Vegan to Paleo. Her philosophy on food is that it should be beautiful, affordable, and of course, delicious. When Jennafer isn’t in the kitchen, you can find her hiking with her German Shepherd or perusing the aisles of home decor stores.