Pressure Cooker Apple Pomegranate Pork Chops

Pork Chops with an Apple Pomegranate Sauce is a delicious way to start fall. This autumn inspired recipe uses only a handful of ingredients, making it easy enough for a weeknight meal, but delicious enough to serve at your next dinner party.

A slightly sweet, yet tart sauce made from a reduction of apples and pomegranate juice, then topped with tender pressured cooked Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops. This delicious fall recipe can be made low and slow in a slow cooker, or fast and easy in a pressure cooker. Serve with a side of steamed vegetables for a delicious fall meal!

It’s hard to believe that summer will be ending in just a few weeks and that the kids will all be back in school. On one hand, I’m thrilled, no more looking for ways to entertain the kids, but it’s definitely going to get a lot more hectic.

No more sleeping in, it’s all about early morning wake up calls, days packed with sports and school events and evenings reserved for homework and those last minute projects. That leaves very little time for anything else, especially dinner!

This is why I turn to Smithfield All Natural Fresh Pork! It’s an easy, everyday option for a quick and delicious meal, but versatile enough for weekend entertaining. I love that I can prepare it in the pressure cooker, the slow cooker, on the stove, on the grill and know that it will come out tender, because Smithfield® is Guaranteed Tender. You’ll never be disappointed with the quality.

What does Smithfield® Guaranteed Tender mean?

• USDA Processed Verified
• Hand-selected based on coloring and marbling
• Proudly raised in the USA
• Fresh, never frozen

Fluster Buster Tip: When your schedule doesn’t allow for a lot of time in the kitchen, turn to your gadgets; slow cooker, pressure cooker, air fryer. Gadget cooking is a life saver for busy moms who want to serve their families delicious homemade meals, and not spend a lot of time doing so. 

Apple Pomegranate Pork Chop Ingredients

▪ Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops: I use the Smithfield® brand because it’s naturally tender, doesn’t use artificial ingredients, steroids or hormones. You can find it in the meat case at Walmart along side the other high-quality, all-natural Smithfield® pork products.

▪ Pomegranates: To save time, I skip the fresh pomegranate and move right to the pomegranate juice, it’s a heck of a lot easier to work with. I suggest using a good quality juice, I found that it has much better flavor.
▪ Apples: You can use any type of apple for this recipes. When I want a more tart sauce, I use Granny Smith apples, but when I’m in the mood for a sweeter sauce I’ll use Pink Lady apples. It’s completely up to you and your preference.
▪ Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. The salted butter will enhance the sweetness of the sauce, where the unsalted butter makes the sauce creamier and more tart. It’s totally up to what type of sauce you prefer.

Pressure Cooker Instructions

Browning

Generously season Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops with salt and pepper. Select the”Saute’ mode on your pressure cooker to preheat. When the pressure cooker is hot add 2 tablespoons of butter, when melted make sure that the bottom is completely covered. Place pork chops in pressure cooker and brown for 2-3 minute per side. Remove pork chops and set aside.

Deglazing
While still in the “Saute” mode deglaze the pan by adding the pomegranate juice and scrapping the browned bits off the bottom. Return the pork chops to the pot, then add the apples. 

Cooking
Lock the lid in place, then turn the venting knob to the sealing position. Pressure cook at “High” pressure for 1 minute with a quick release. Carefully release the pressure before opening the lid.

Making the Sauce
Remove pork chops and set aside. Change the pressure cooker back to “Saute” mode and simmer the remaining liquid until it is reduced by half. Turn off the pressure cooker and stir in the remaining butter. *Add a pinch of sugar if the sauce is to tart.

Serving

To serve, place pork chop over the warm apple pomegranate sauce.

Additional Cooking Methods

• On the Stove
  • Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.
  • In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer, then add your pork chops. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, remove from pan and let rest.

  

  • To deglaze the pan, add pomegranate juice and scrape the browned bits from the bottom using a wooden spoon.
  • To make the sauce, lower heat and stir in the diced apple, simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. To serve, place pork chops over warm apple pomegranate sauce.
• In the Slow Cooker
  • Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.
  • In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer, then add your pork chops. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, remove from pan and place in slow cooker.

  

  • In slow cooker, stir together 1 1/2 cups of pomegranate juice and 1 diced apple. Add the pork chops, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or 3-4 hours on high. Remove pork chops and set aside.
  • In a small bowl stir together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. To serve, place pork chops over the warm apple pomegranate sauce.

Variations to the Recipe

If you want a sweeter sauce use, sweetened pomegranate juice, Pink Lady apples, salted butter and a pinch or two of sugar. The combination of these four ingredients will give you a much sweeter sauce.

If you want to make the dish more savory, sprinkle the Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops with a little salt and some dried rosemary before cooking.

I used boneless pork chops for this recipe, but you can use Smithfield All Natural Bone-In Pork chops if you want. The cooking time may have to be adjusted a little, just make sure that the internal temperature is 145°F before serving.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pressure Cooker Apple Pomegranate Pork Chops

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

This autumn inspired recipe uses only a handful of ingredients, making it easy enough for a weeknight meal, but delicious enough to serve at your next dinner party.

Author: Robin | Fluster Buster

Recipe type: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Yields: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
• 1 granny smith apples, peeled and diced small
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Generously season Smithfield All Natural Boneless Pork Chops with salt and pepper. Select the"Saute' mode on your pressure cooker to preheat. When the pressure cooker is hot add 2 tablespoons of butter, when melted make sure that the bottom is completely covered. Place pork chops in pressure cooker and brown for 2-3 minute per side. Remove pork chops and set aside.
2. While still in the “Saute” mode deglaze the pan by adding the pomegranate juice and scrapping the browned bits off the bottom. Return the pork chops to the pot, then add the apples.
3. Lock the lid in place, then turn the venting knob to the sealing position. Pressure cook at “High” pressure for 1 minute with a quick release. Carefully release the pressure before opening the lid.
4. Remove pork chops and set aside. Change the pressure cooker back to “Saute” mode and simmer the remaining liquid until it is reduced by half. Turn off the pressure cooker and stir in the remaining butter. *Add a pinch of sugar if the sauce is to tart.
5. To serve, place pork chop over the warm apple pomegranate sauce.

Notes

Stove Top Instructions:
- Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.
- In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer, then add your pork chops. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, remove from pan and let rest.
- To deglaze the pan, add pomegranate juice and scrape the browned bits from the bottom using a wooden spoon.
-To make the sauce, lower heat and stir in the diced apple, simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in 2 tablespoons of butter. To serve, place pork chops over warm apple pomegranate sauce.

Slow Cooker Instructions
- Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.
- In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer, then add your pork chops. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, remove from pan and place in slow cooker.
- In slow cooker, stir together 1½ cups of pomegranate juice and 1 diced apple. Add the pork chops, cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or 3-4 hours on high. Remove pork chops and set aside.
- In a small bowl stir together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. To serve, place pork chops over the warm apple pomegranate sauce.

3.5.3251

Tips

✔ Be sure that the pressure cooker pot is hot before browning the pork chops, about 8 minutes.
✔ For perfectly cooked pork chops, do not put more than 4 in the pressure cooker at a time. Cooking more than 4 may cause them to not be thoroughly cooked.
✔ The internal temperature of cooked pork should be between 145°F-160°F, with a rest time of 3 minutes.

Making This Recipe? We’d really love to see how it turned out. Snap a Picture and tag it on Instagram with @flusterbuster so we can check it out!

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Check out these other inspirational fall recipes from Smithfield®

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