This post features pork from Cramer Farm, a family-run farm and CSA in Howard, PA offering super high quality produce, pork, chicken, eggs, and baked goods. The Cramers are friends of mine and I worked on a photography project for them to prepare their online store for the season! This post is not technically “sponsored,” but the photos were part of a paid project. I also just love the Cramers and I want to do everything I can to encourage the folks on this page to shop local and support local agriculture!
I think pork chops get a bad wrap sometimes! Here’s the thing… the USDA used to say that pork had to be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. So if you think back to pork chops from your childhood, mayyyybe doused in cream of mushroom soup in the crock pot, and mayyyybe so dry you can break a piece off (sorry, mama!)… well then I don’t blame you. I was in the same boat, with this unfair and, dare I say, UNTRUE belief that pork chops are just always dry!
BUT, my good people… the USDA’s guidelines were revised in 2011. If you are still cooking pork chops to 165 degrees, please please STOP. Stop everything you are doing, and find pork on THIS TABLE. (HINT - it’s in the very first line, and it says, “145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes.”)
Okay, so now that we have that out of the way, and you know there IS such a thing as a tender and juicy and flavorful pork chop [SEE IMAGE ABOVE FOR PROOF]… LET’S MAKE SOME!
THESE pork chops are the real deal. They get a quick maple dijon marinade and are paired with a super easy side… sliced and grilled Granny Smith Apples! Here’s what you need:
Pork Chops
Garlic
Dijon Mustard
Maple Syrup
Cayenne Pepper / Salt / Pepper
Granny Smith Apples
FLAMES… I count the grill as an ingredient
Buy local if you can! I used pork chops from Cramer Farm in Howard PA. They come in a two-pack, so it makes a perfect dinner for us, and with grilled apples on the side, HEYO minimal clean-up!
Read on to learn more about Cramer Farm and how you can order the chops to make these this weekend! or jump to the recipe
About Cramer Farm: Small Local Farm, Quality Products, BIG Hearts
Cramer Farm is a small-scale family farm and CSA in Nittany Valley, Centre County. At the Bellefonte Farmers Market on Saturdays during the growing season, they offer produce, PORK (of course), chicken, eggs, and I can not leave out that Lucy makes the BEST muffins and scones.
You can pre-order from Cramer Farm online in a few easy steps:
Visit the online store, either directly (https://www.localline.ca/cramer-farm) or embedded in Cramer Farm’s website (https://cramerfarm.com/store/). The store is “open” from 5pm every Tuesday to noon on Thursday!
Create an account through the web store, hosted by Local Line.
Select your items and add to your cart, just as you would with other online shopping!
Choose your payment option and whether you’d like to pick up at the Gamble Mill (farmer’s market) or at Cramer Farm in Howard, PA.
Place your order!
Please note that this market is local to Centre County and you should only place a pre-order if you’ll be able to pick up your haul in Bellefonte on Saturday mornings (there’s also an option to do pick-up at the farm!)
A few notes before we dive in:
If you have the option, look for chops that are about 3/4” - 1” thick.
The chops from Cramer Farm are usually bone-in, but you can use whatever you can find!
I have a gas grill, so the instructions below are for that! I have never used a charcoal grill and will not pretend to know how.
You don’t need any special tools (besides a grill) to grill the apples! Just slice ‘em and throw them directly on the grill grates. If you have an apple corer, that’s cool (but totally unnecessary — they’re quite pretty with the seeds left IN!).
If you don’t have a quick-read meat thermometer, I strongly recommend one! They are cheap and it’s the best way to tell when your meat is done without cutting into it (unless you have that “finger test” super power.
This recipe EASILY scales up or down depending on how many people you need to feed! My rule of thumb is to estimate 1 Tbsp mustard and 1 Tbsp maple syrup for every pork chop. + as much garlic as you want :)
Grilled Maple Dijon Pork Chops and Apples
Ingredients:
2 pork chops
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper, to taste
2 Granny Smith Apples
Olive Oil
optional: cinnamon for the apples!
Instructions:
Remove pork chops from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Put the pork chops into a shallow baking dish to marinate.
In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, dijon mustard, and maple syrup. If you like a little spice, sprinkle in some cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This is the sauce you will use for the marinade AND while grilling.
TIP: Cooking for a crowd? Scale up the sauce — 1 part maple : 1 part dijon : 1/2 part garlic (per chop).Drizzle HALF of this sauce over the pork chops, spreading it around and flipping the chops to coat them. Sit the chops in the refrigerator to marinate for 20-30 min.
Slice the Granny Smith apples into half inch rounds. I leave the seeds in and then we just eat around them, but cut them out if they bug you! Toss the apples with a little olive oil and sprinkle them with cinnamon and salt before grilling!
Pre-heat the grill to high. After it's hot (10-15 min), use a grill brush to clean the grates. When you’re ready to cook, oil a paper towel and use tongs to grease the grill grates.
Leave the heat at high on one side and more like a medium on the other side. Place the saucy chops on the hotter side to get some nice grill marks and the cinnamon apples on the medium side.
TIP: Be careful about flare ups (pork fat) and burning (maple syrup/natural sugars in apples)!THE CHOPS: Sear the chops for about 3 minutes on each side, brushing with the extra sauce as the mood strikes you. Once you are happy with the grill marks, move them over to the other side for 4-7 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from grill, with foil, and let them rest for 3-5 min.
THE APPLES: At the time of the switch, move the apples over to the hot side, rotating/turning every so often, until they are cooked through and also have nice grill marks. I like my apples to be mostly cooked through but still a tiny bit crisp (not mushy!).
Dig in!
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Grilled Maple Dijon Pork Chops and Apples – Maria Makes: Pork chops don’t have to be dry! This Maple Dijon marinade and glaze pairs perfectly with the tender pork and tangy Granny Smith apples!