145°F is where pork chops changed. For decades everyone cooked them to 160°F and above out of fear, which is exactly why a generation of people think pork is dry by nature. A four-ounce boneless chop pulled at 145°F and rested is faintly pink in the middle, entirely safe, and a completely different piece of meat.

Sear first in batches, then finish in the oven. A crowded skillet drops in temperature and the chops release water instead of browning, so you get grey meat and no crust. Two to three minutes a side over medium-high, in batches, then ten to twelve minutes in a 375°F oven with sauce brushed on. The skillet does the color; the oven does the cooking.

Apples and onions go in the same pan for a reason. Whatever the chops left behind gets picked up by the butter and onion, and then the apples release enough liquid to lift it off the bottom. Pig Spit thinned with broth goes in at the end and turns it all into a pan sauce, which is a nicer word for not wasting anything.