French-Style Pork Chops with Apples and Calvados

Name: French-Style Pork Chops with Apples and Calvados
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 (12- to 14-ounce), bone-in pork rib chops, 1 inch thick; , Kosher salt and pepper; 4 Gala or, Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cored; 2 slices, bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 3 , shallots, sliced; Pinch, ground nutmeg; 1/2 cup, Calvados; 1 3/4 cups, apple cider; 1 1/4 cups, chicken broth; 4 sprigs, fresh thyme, plus 1/4 teaspoon minced; 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter; 2 teaspoons, vegetable oil; 1/2 - 1 teaspoon, apple cider vinegar

16 comments

Appears in Cook's Illustrated January/February 2015, America's Test Kitchen TV

Classic French versions call for lighting the sauce on fire. Does this technique really make a difference—or is it just kitchen theatrics?

SERVES4

TIME1½ hours, plus 1 hour resting

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Pork and apples is a classic, but usually everyday, pairing. We turned to the French recipe for porc à la Normande to inspire a more elegant rendition. Using thick bone-in chops allowed us more leeway to avoid overcooking, while salting the...

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