Pork Chops with Roasted Pears, and Onions
Pears are also delicious in savory dishes, especially paired with garden herbs and young alliums (onions, garlic, etc). In this recipe, pears, and caramelized onions join forces to liven up a rather unexciting pan of pork chops.
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops 1/2-inch-thick bone-in about 1 1/2 lbs
- 2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 large onion into 8 wedges
- 1 teaspoon Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
- 5 pears medium ripe but firm peeled, cored, and cut into 2 inch pieses
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet with a flameproof handle over medium-high heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and scatter them over the oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until brown, about 2 minutes. Lay the pork chops in and cook until the underside is browned, about 6 minutes. Remove and reserve the garlic cloves if they become more than deep golden brown before the chops are fully browned. Turn the chops, tuck the onion wedges into the pan and continue cooking until the second side of the chops is browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. About half way through browning the second side, tuck the pear wedges in between the chops.
- Stir the red wine vinegar and honey together in a small bowl, until the honey is dissolved. Pour the vinegar/honey mixture into the skillet and bring to a vigorous boil. Return the garlic cloves to the skillet if you have removed them. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the onions and pears are tender and the juices from the pork are a rich, syrupy dark brown, about 30 minutes. Once or twice during roasting, turn the chops and redistribute the onions and pears. Handle the skillet carefully—it will be extremely hot.
Video
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