One-pan Skillet Pork & Apples with Maple Miso Cream Sauce is the easy and delicious fall dinner of your dreams. Ok of my dreams.
When I dream up a meal idea… and I do actually dream about food which is both wonderful and kinda worrisome… I just can’t stop thinking about it until I make it. I always hope it will be as good as I want it to be and sometimes, this time, dreams really do come true.
This easy weeknight dinner with Saturday night dinner party, restaurant level flavour is sooooooo good. Savoury miso, sweet maple syrup and a splash of wine fuse into a gloriously silky cream sauce that smothers juicy pork sirloin chops, fresh herbs and sweet-tart granny smith apples.
Made in one skillet in less than 30 minutes. I don’t know what you’re waiting for.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Skillet Pork & Apples with Maple Miso Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs pork* cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp white miso
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1-2 Granny Smith apples sliced
- 2 Tbsp white wine
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the pork with S&P and add to the pan.
- Brown on all sides, and cook until just cooked through.
- Remove to a plate.
- Mash the butter, miso and garlic together and add to the skillet. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the apples and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.
- Add in the maple syrup, mustard, thyme, cream and milk.
- Season with S& P and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the pork back into the pan and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
- Serve with extra freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
my pro tips for making the best skillet pork & apples with maple miso cream sauce
Pork – you want juicy pork here. I use pork sirloin because I find it is less likely to dry out than pork loin. Also be sure to not overcook it. We’re aiming for 145 degrees.
Apples – keep the apple slices on the thinner side so they cook quickly but not so thin that they turn to mush and disintegrate. I cut an apple into about 12 slices.
Mashing – I mash the butter, miso and garlic together so it all melts down and cooks evenly. It prevents the butter from overcooking and ensures the miso is smooth and mixed in.
recipe substitutions and variations
Swap the pork for chicken thighs to mix up the protein.
Try a nice, firm pear instead of the apples. Pears and pork go as beautifully together as pork and apples do.
Miso – my default miso is white miso, but if you want a more pronounced, umami-ish flavour you can try red miso.
Dairy-free Version – use a plant-based butter and swap out the cream and milk for coconut cream and milk.
Honey-Mustard Version – increase the dijon to 1 Tbsp and also add in 2 tsp grainy mustard. Swap out the maple syrup for honey.
serving suggestions
I love to eat this dish over a steaming pile of rice, preferably a wild rice blend. It’s also really good on mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower or mashed sweet potatoes.
I love to serve some roasted fall veggies, garlicky sautéed green beans or charred brussels sprouts on the side.
I also love to serve it with a big slab of crusty bread to mop up the miso maple sauce and a good kale or shaved brussels sprout salad.
storing leftovers and make ahead details…
Fridge – leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. I reheat slowly in the skillet with a little splash of milk or broth to loosen the sauce a bit.
Make Ahead – I think this dish is best served immediately, but you can make it the day before and reheat as described above. Just be careful to not overcook the pork.
questions about this Skillet Pork & Apples with Maple Miso Cream Sauce?
How do you keep the pork from drying out? the key lies in the cut of pork and how long you cook it. Sirloin is less likely to dry out and be sure to not overcook it. A little blush of pink is ok when cooking pork.
What kind of apples are best? you want a firm, tart apple that won’t fall apart when cooking and that brings a little zip of tangy flavour to the dish. I usually use Granny Smith, but Honeycrisp apples are a good option as well.
If you like this easy Skillet Pork & Apples with Maple Miso Cream Sauce Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media! And if you like it I think you’ll also like my: Marinated Brussels Sprouts with Maple Balsamic, Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts, Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries or Kale Apple Salad – with Spicy Maple Nuts & Bacon. Any of them make an excellent side with this dish.
