Peach Sage Pork Chops
I love the fall. Apples and citrus start showing up at grocery stores and farmers’ markets while cocktails start to have more spice and warmth to them. I love everything about it… well almost everything. There is one thing I hate about fall, most of the stone fruits with which I’m so in love disappear. But just because peaches, plums and apricots disappear, doesn’t mean their flavors have to.
This delicious pork chop recipe keeps spring and summer present thanks to one simple thing: a jar of peach jam. While I love any kind of stone fruit jam spread on top of toast, I’d never used it to make a sauce. After doing it, I can’t believe this was my first time. And it was so easy! Just a little jam, vinegar, stock and fresh herbs and you’ve got a sauce that that goes great over chicken, pork, or beef.
In this case, I ladled it over some boneless pork chops. But I could just as easily ladle it over some boneless chicken breasts or even some steamed white rice. What this sauce made me realize though, was that I could make other sauces with other jams. So, next time I won’t use peach. Next time I’ll use orange marmalade or raspberry jam because either would be perfect ladled on top of a thick piece of meat. But whichever jam I use, I’ll get a sweet sauce that when combined with the savory meat will make for one delicious dinner. A dinner that I can have any day of the week, any time of the year. All I need is a jar of jam. And that’s all you need too… especially if you want to keep summer alive… just a little longer.
Notes
Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork chops
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons peach preserves
- 3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
Instructions
- Pat the pork chops and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chops and cook, flipping once, until brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a platter, tent with foil and let rest while you make the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the stock and cook scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring and simmering until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Add the preserves, vinegar, mustard and sage and whisk until smooth. Stir in the the juices from the resting pork and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the chops and serve.
