Ingredients
Brine
▢1 quart warm water
▢1 tablespoon Kosher salt
▢2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
▢4 bone-in pork chops*
Sweet Potatoes
▢1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
▢2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
▢2 tablespoons real maple syrup
▢2 tablespoons light brown sugar. packed
▢½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢½ to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or regular paprika
▢1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
▢1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Pork Chops
▢1 tablespoon olive oil
▢½ teaspoon smoked paprika, or regular
▢½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
▢½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Maple Glaze
▢½ cup maple syrup
▢¼ cup bourbon, or whiskey, orange/pineapple/cranberry juice, or water
▢¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
▢¼ cup raspberry jam, or another favorite jam such as strawberry or blackberry or jelly
▢1 tablespoon lemon juice
▢3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
▢½ teaspoon cinnamon
▢½ teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste
▢½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
▢½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
▢pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
Instructions
Brine – In a large shallow dish or bowl, add the water, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
Carefully add the pork chops, making sure to submerge them fully. Brine for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour. While the pork chops brine, start roasting the sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes – Preheat oven to 400F.
Dice the sweet potatoes and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (optional but really helps with cleanup and I highly recommend it); set aside.
To a small bowl, combine the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
Evenly drizzle over the sweet potatoes, toss to evenly coat, and bake for about 25 to 35 minutes, making sure to toss and flip them once or twice during baking to ensure even cooking. In the final 10 minutes of roasting, move onto searing the pork chops and making the maple glaze.
Pork Chops – After the allotted brining time, remove the chops and pat dry.
To a large skillet, add the oil, pork chops, and evenly season with smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and sear over high heat for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet; set aside on a platter.
Maple Glaze – To a small saucepan, add all ingredients, stir to combine, and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly.**
Putting it All Together – Lower the oven temp to 375F.
By this point the sweet potatoes should have been roasting for about 25 to 35 minutes. Flip and toss again. They should be nearly done at this point, meaning soft and fork tender.
Place the pork chops directly over the sweet potatoes.
Carefully spoon about a third of the glaze over the chops and bake for 5 minutes.
Flip the chops over, spoon a third of the remaining glaze over the chops, and bake for another 4 minutes, or until the internal temp of the pork chops has reached 140F using a digital thermometer to be sure. Pork is fully cooked and safe to eat once it reaches 145°F. However, you can always remove pork from the oven when it reaches 140°F and after it rests for about 5 minutes, the internal temperature will rise to 145°F and you’re set. Make sure to let it the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve with the remaining third of the glaze or whatever you have left.
Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheating gently in the microwave is my preferred method to reheat.