Pork Loin Steaks in a Simple Cider Butter Sauce

Pork loin steaks are a great midweek meal option; these are pan-fried for just 6-7 minutes and come with a simple & delicious cider sauce!

Whether you serve them with a salad in the summer or with mash and greens in winter, these pan-fried boneless pork chops are the perfect midweek dinner.

Boneless Pork Chops with Cider Sauce

I love cooking with and eating pork; it is right up there with lamb as my favourite meat. You'll find everything here from braised pork liver with onions to Chinese Char Siu pork tenderloin.

But pork chops are my usual munch. These pork loin steaks are essentially boneless pork chops taken from the loin. The same place that these harissa pork chops come from.

They are delicious, simple and quick to cook, and for me make the perfect midweek meal.

This recipe cooks them in a skillet or frying pan in a splash of oil that is flavoured with thyme and garlic.

Whilst they are resting, you have the perfect amount of time to reduce some cider and enrich it with butter to make the perfect pan sauce!

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of cider should I use?

When cooking with alcohol, generally speaking, I think that you should cook with something that you are prepared to drink.

I would caveat this with the fact that you should cook this with a dry cider and not a sweetened flavoured cider. I've been using Aspall draught cyder a lot for cooking of late.

A note for US and Canadian readers, Cider here refers to alcohol or what you guys refer to as hard cider.

How do you cook pork steaks without them drying out?

The short answer is not to cook it for too long.

The first thing is to find a good butcher; almost all pre-sliced pork chops or loin steaks are cut way too thinly. By the time you have a nice colour on them on one side, they are almost cooked through.

I aim to have boneless cuts of pork that are around 3-4cm (1½") thick.

You want a hot to medium-hot pan and then cook for just 3-4 minutes per side. Even if you want your pork well done, no more than 5 minutes.

I swear by using meat thermometers, pork is safe anywhere from 63°C or 145°F. I aim for around 65°C (149°F) for these loin steaks after resting, as a result, I remove them from the pan at around 60-61°C (140°F).

As you can see from the image below, there is just the slightest hint of pink.

Finally, rest the pork! Create a foil tent and allow it to sit for 4-5 minutes. This also gives you the perfect time to make a pan sauce.

Serving Suggestions

I love these things; they are so versatile. I serve this recipe with a pear and blue cheese salad. Although they would work just as well with my roasted pears with blue cheese.

They are great with a host of different side dishes, particularly with some salty fried potatoes.

They also work with mash too, whether it be mashed potato, celeriac mash or a carrot and swede mash.

Throw some green beans, sweet glazed Chantenay carrots, roasted savoy cabbage, roasted tenderstem broccoli or asparagus on the side, and dinner is served!

You could even serve it with some braised cavolo nero kale.

If you want a different sauce, then a classic parsley sauce would be a great call.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 28cm or 11" frying pan or skillet.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Spatula or kitchen tongs.
• Whisk.
• Quick-read meat thermometer, optional, but it is a tool that I swear by for cooking meat perfectly.