Paleo Pork and Apple Cider Vinegar Skillet

Some dishes just make you want to put one foot in front of the other and walk briskly and happily into the kitchen.

This meal is one of them.

Sweet and tart apples combined with savory, well-seasoned pork, create the perfect one pot meal. You’ve got fruit, you’ve got pork, and then you have a full-bodied sauce kissed with vinegar to top it off with.

What more can you want?

Pork and apple cider vinegar skillet ingredients, substitutions, and tips

Let’s start with ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 bone-in center-cut pork chops

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

• 1 tablespoon cold water

• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 large Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon ghee

Diet compatibility

Diet	Compatible?
Keto	Yes
Paleo	Yes
Whole30	Yes
Dairy-free	Not as written, but yes with one simple substitution (see below)
Vegan	No

A few tips and substitutions…

To make this recipe dairy-free: Simply substitute coconut oil or a non-dairy butter for your ghee. That’ll change the taste a little bit, but you’ll be very close.

Making this recipe vegan would be quite a bit harder – in addition to the ghee, you’d need to substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock and then find a good vegan alternative to pork chops.

Also – if you don’t have Granny Smith apples, you can substitute Gala apples instead.

I think of this meal as being a complete plate of food on its own. But, you could pair it with a side salad or roasted sweet potatoes!

How to make pork and apple cider vinegar skillet (step-by-step instructions)

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.

• Season pork with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

• Place pork in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Flip, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

• Repeat until pork is cooked to 145-150 degrees with a meat thermometer, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove pork from the pan, and tent loosely with foil.

• Add chicken broth, apple cider vinegar and thyme to the pan, and stir well to remove any browned bits. Bring to a light simmer.

• Whisk together the arrowroot powder and cold water.

• Pour into the pan, and stir well. Bring to a light simmer.

• Stir in the onion and apple, reduce heat to medium low, and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until softened.

• Add in the ghee, and stir well.

• Place pork back in the pan, and cook until warmed through.

• Serve pork with the pan sauce.

Recipes and Tips:

• Keto Pulled Pork

• Asian Style Pork Cabbage Wraps

• Apple cider vinegar gummies recipe

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