This simple and seasonal dish pairs pork chops with garden sage, orchard pears and soft braised shallots.
Course Main Dishes
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Calories 344kcal
Author Aimee
Ingredients
41-inch-thick bone-in pork chopsabout 2 1/2 lbs
1/2teaspoonfine sea saltdivided
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1Tablespoonolive oil
2firm-ripe pearswashed, quartered and cored
5medium shallotspeeled and quartered
1/3cupapple cider vinegar
1/2cupapple juice
1teaspoonminced fresh ginger
1Tablespoonfinely chopped sageloosely packed
2Tablespoonspure maple syrup
3Tablespoonsunsalted butter
Instructions
Heat a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Preheat oven to 400F. Have all ingredients prepped and ready to go.
Pat pork chops dry with a paper town and season on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Heat olive oil in the pan and then carefully lower the pork chops into the pan with a pair of tongs.
Sear pork for about 4 minutes on one side, allowing a dark crust to form. Flip the chop and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the quartered pears around the pork chops and send the pan to the oven. Roast for about 8 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop registers 130F.
While the chops roast, reheat the cast iron skillet over medium high heat and tip in the shallots. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, apple juice and ginger. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove pork chops and pears from the oven. With tongs, transfer the pears to the pan with the shallots to continue cooking them. Add any juices from the pork to the sauce. Set aside the pork to rest.
Increase the heat to high under the sauce with pears and shallots. Sprinkle in the sage, pour in the maple syrup and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.. Boil until the mixture reduces and thickens.
Lower heat and return the pork chops to the pan, as well as any accumulated juices. Dot with butter and spoon the sauce over the pork as the butter melts. The reheated pork chops need to only reach about 145F. Don't overcook them!
Plate the pork chop over rice or mashed potatoes and arrange the roasted pears and braised shallots around the pork. Spoon the sauce over the top and serve at once.
Notes
Note that cooking times will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears and the thickness of the pork chop. Test both regularly for doneness during the cooking process.