This is fast becoming one of my go-to dinners. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, but it also tastes special enough to serve guests. Follow me!
Brown Sugar Glaze For Pork
As I was developing this recipe, I was really conscious that it didn’t end up too one dimensional i.e just pork and brown sugar. Whilst pork takes on sweetness incredibly well, I wanted to create a few more layers and develop some more depth of flavour, whilst keeping the sugar the star of the show.
Brown Sugar Glaze Ingredients
Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar works best for its subtle caramel-like flavour, which adds gorgeous flavour to the glaze. Soy Sauce – The saltiness from the soy sauce balances out the sweetness of the sugar. Apple Cider Vinegar – This cuts through both the sweet and salty tones of the glaze. Worcestershire Sauce – Offers some depth of flavour. Dijon Mustard – Adds some more complexity to the glaze. Plus pork and mustard is a match made in heaven! Water – Just thins the sauce out a little (it will evaporate once simmered).
The glaze is incredibly easy to prepare; just whisk it all together, then quickly whisk again before adding it to the pan. Process shots: add ingredients to small bowl (photo 1), whisk (photo 2).
Pan-Fried Pork Chops
Pork chops get a bad rep, but if you treat them right they’re truly delicious. Here I use boneless chops, but you can use bone-in if you’d prefer.
Preparing the pork chops
Room Temp – I like bringing the pork close to room temp to help relax the meat before frying it. Seasoning – The glaze is great, but you’ll want to give the pork some layers of flavour too. Here I use smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fat – If the strip of fat on the pork is quite thick, I recommend scoring it with a sharp knife to prevent the chops curling up in the pan.
Cooking the pork chops
In general, you don’t need to fry pork chops for as long as you think you do. The main thing is forming a crust on both sides to develop flavour. It’s also just as important to rest the pork after you’ve cooked it. If you slice straight in the juices are all going to pour out. You’ll also want to sear the fat to render out all that liquid gold! Process shots: score fat (photo 1), add seasoning (photo 2), rub into meat (photo 3), add to pan (photo 4), fry (photo 5), sear fat (photo 6).
Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Once you’ve rendered down the fat, use it to start off the sauce (bonus flavour!). Alongside the glaze we mixed up, you’ll want to add some butter to the pan. This adds a savoury tone to the sauce and adds another layer of flavour. It also helps create that gorgeous glossy glaze. Once you’ve simmered the sauce into a glaze, just add the pork back in alongside the resting juices – don’t waste that extra flavour! Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), pour in sauce and simmer (photo 2), add pork (photo 3), coat in glaze (photo 4).
Serving Brown Sugar Pork Chops
Here I’ve served with rice and Green Beans, but any sort of carb will work (Mashed Potatoes are also great!). Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these brown sugar glazed pork chops shall we?!
How to make Brown Sugar Pork Chops (Full Recipe & Video)
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