Prepare Pork Chops: Make a few small cuts around the sides of the pork chops so they will stay flat and brown evenly. Season the pork chops with a generous amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button and click the adjust button to go to Sauté More function). Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be when you place the pork chops into the pot (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT). This will prevent the pork chops from sticking to the pot.
Brown Pork Chops: Add grapeseed oil into the pot. Ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot. Add the seasoned pork chops into the pot, then let it brown for roughly 2 – 3 minutes on each side (don’t need to keep flipping). Remove and set aside.
Sauté Onion and Garlic: Reduce the heat to medium (Instant pot: press cancel button, then press sauté button). Add in the sliced onions and stir. Add a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper to season if you like. Cook the onions for roughly 1 minute until softened. Then, add garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrance.
Make Applesauce: Add in the thinly sliced gala apples, whole cloves (optional) and cinnamon powder, then give it a quick stir. Add the honey and partially deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Deglaze and Taste: Add chicken stock and regular soy sauce, then fully deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Taste the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. Pressure Cook Pork Chops: Place the pork chops back with all the meat juice into the pot. Close lid and pressure cook at high pressure for 1 minute + full Natural Release (roughly 10 minutes). Turn off the heat. Open the lid carefully.
Taste and Thicken Applesauce: Remove the pork chops and set aside. Turn heat to medium (Instant Pot: Press sauté button). Remove the cloves and taste the seasoning one more time. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Add butter and stir until it has fully dissolved into the sauce.
Optional Step: Mix the cornstarch with water and mix it into the applesauce one third at a time until desired thickness.
Serve: Drizzle the applesauce over the pork chops and serve immediately with side dishes!