Step 1

Prepare the sauce by whisking together the apricot preserves, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and water. Set the sauce aside.

Step 2

Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. While the skillet is heating, remove the pork chops from their package and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.

Step 3

Once the skillet is very hot but not smoking (the oil should look wavy on the surface), add the chops to the skillet. Over crowding the skillet will cause the heat to drop and prevent searing so cook the chops in batches of two. Cook on each side until browned (about 5 minutes each side). NOTE: The chops will stick to the pan initially, but they will naturally be released from the surface when a “sear” has been achieved. If the chop is still sticking to the pan that means it is not ready to flip yet.

Step 4

When the chops finish searing, remove them to a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Once all of the chops have cooked, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the apricot sauce into the skillet. Using a whisk, stir and cook the sauce for 1-2 minutes. The whisk will help the pan drippings release from the bottom of the pan and flavor the sauce. This is called “deglazing.”

Step 5

Either serve the pork chops with the sauce spooned over top or add the chops back to the warm skillet to coat with sauce. I spooned the sauce over top for presentation’s sake but in the future I’ll probably add them to the pan to completely coat with the yummy sauce!