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A plate with a grilled pork chop topped with creamy sauce, served with cooked lentils and a side of salad made with cabbage, green apples, and walnuts.

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Cognac-Dijon Cream Sauce & Fennel-Green Apple Salad

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Juicy, perfectly seared pork chops meet a rich, silky cognac-dijon cream sauce, balanced by a crisp fennel and green apple salad with a zesty mustard vinaigrette.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, French Inspired
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Rub
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 5 teaspoon onion powder
  • 4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoon paprika
  • 4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pork Chops
  • 2 bone-in pork chops 1-inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Cognac-Dijon Cream Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon shallots minced
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ cup cognac
  • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoon butter divided
Fennel & Green Apple Salad
  • 1 fennel bulb thinly shaved, reserve fronds
  • 1 green apple thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shaved
Mustard Vinaigrette
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

  • Oven-safe skillet
  • Mandoline or sharp knife
  • Small Mixing Bowls

Method
 

  1. Mix dry rub ingredients in an airtight jar. Season pork chops liberally on all sides. Refrigerate on a rack over a baking sheet for 2–24 hours. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
  2. Heat avocado oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork chops 3–4 minutes per side until golden. You'll know it's ready to flip once it releases from the pan. It sticks because the crust is still forming, so don't nudge it around if it's not releasing. The protein will almost always tell you when it's ready.
  3. Transfer skillet to a 375°F oven and bake until internal temp reaches 145°F, about 8–12 minutes. Rest pork chops.
  4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. Sauté shallots 2 minutes, add garlic 30 seconds.
  5. Add cognac, scrape browned bits, reduce by half (1–2 minutes). You’ll know it’s ready when the strong astringent scent of alcohol is gone and you smell a hint of fruit instead.
  6. Stir in Dijon mustards, chicken stock, heavy cream, and thyme. Simmer 3–5 minutes.
  7. Remove thyme, blend sauce until smooth, return to heat low. Stir in remaining butter for silkiness.
  8. Thinly shave fennel and slice apple; toss with lemon juice.
  9. Whisk together mustard vinaigrette ingredients, slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Toss with fennel and apple.
  10. Serve pork chops drizzled with sauce, alongside salad garnished with walnuts, Parmigiano, and fennel fronds.

Notes

For seasoning, I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton, use half.
Storage: The pork chops keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, reheat gently covered in a low oven so they don't dry out. The cognac-dijon cream sauce can break when reheated hard, warm it slowly over low heat, whisking now and then. The fennel-apple salad is best dressed and eaten fresh, the apple browns and the fennel wilts if it sits.

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