- cooking spray
- 6 (1/2 inch thick) boneless pork chops
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar, not packed
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 (15 ounce) cans cut yams, drained (reserve liquid)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Season pork chops with salt and black pepper.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook pork chops until browned on both sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain pork chops on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Heat brown sugar, butter, apricot preserves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla extract, and pecans in a saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar has dissolved and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If sauce because too thick, stir in reserved yam liquid.
- Stir in yams until well coated.
- Transfer pork chops to the prepared baking dish.
- Spoon yam mixture on top of the pork chops.
- Bake in the preheated oven until pork chops no longer pink in the center, 30 to 45 minutes. Allow pork chops to rest for 10 minutes before serving.