Pork Chops with Fig and Apricot Jam

This is a dish that I've cooked lots of times over the years, and each time it's a little different, depending on what ingredients I have on hand.  The other night I used a "Fig Pizzazz" fruit spread from Mountain Fruit Company.  However, on other occasions I've used apricot jam, orange marmalade, or fig compote.  In addition, I decided to use red wine to deglaze the pan this time, but I could have just as easily used white, and have opted for that when using apricot or orange jams.  You could even use orange juice instead of the wine if you're using orange marmalade.   Finally, to be sure not to overcook the chops (especially if they're thin), leave them a little undercooked when you remove them from the pan.  They'll cook more once you return to the sauce in the pan.  

This is the yummy, yummy stuff I used. 

Pork Chops with Fig and Apricot Jam
serves 4

4 boneless pork chops, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt 

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup chicken broth

pinch of dried thyme

1 cup of Fig Pizzazz fruit spread

1. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper

2.  Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil and swirl to coat pan. 

3.  Sear the pork chops on each side until just golden brown, turning only once.  Remove them to a platter and keep warm.

4. Reduce heat, add onions and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

5.  Pour the wine into the pan to deglaze and scrape up browned bits.  Cook one minute, then add chicken broth, thyme, and jam.  Cook over medium heat until sauce thickens.  

6. Then return chops to the pan to warm and cover in sauce.  Serve chops with sauce spooned over top

Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops

I went back to my rediscovered favorite source, Cook's Illustrated last night, and made pork chops with a crispy coating (recipe follows).  Made with buttermilk and corn flakes, the coating was really tasty.  I am wondering if I can use it for chicken as well -- I don't see why not.  It's something I'll have to test out.  


I think that next time I'll have to use thinner pork chops, though.  The cooking time listed in the recipe wasn't enough for me to get the pork cooked through, and I like my pork pink.  The recipe calls for chops 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.  I am not a great judge of that kind of thing -- in retrospect, I'll bet my chops were closer to 3/4 to 1 inch thick.  In addition, the recipe calls for 8 chops.  Four of them were plenty for us, but of course mine were Flintstone-sized, so maybe 8 would have sufficed had they been thinner.  :)  In order to get the middle of the chops cooked without overdoing the crispy coating, I finished the pork in the oven for about 5 minutes.  It was already hot from the potatoes I roasted, so I would guess it was somewhere around 300 degrees. 

The recipe calls for serving the pork chops with lemon.  This definitely added to the flavor; however next time I'll cut up two lemons instead of just one.  

I served it with roasted potatoes and green beans.  The potatoes were simply salt, rosemary, and a little garlic powder.  This time I tried a slightly different technique with the potatoes:  I covered them with foil for about 20 mins (oven at 425), then removed foil, turned them all over to expose brown, crispy side, and finished them for another 10 mins or so.  I didn't add the rosemary until about 2-3 minutes before removing them from the oven.  I liked this -- the potatoes were crispier than normal, and the rosemary didn't burn.

As for the green beans, I just blanched them ahead of time, and served them room temperature with a little dressing that I made with oil, lemon/thyme vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  I still need to get to the store to buy shallots; a little bit of shallot would have been a nice flavor to add to the dressing.  

Crispy Pan-Fried Pork Chops
from Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4

2/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 medium garlic clove, minced
3 cups cornflakes
Salt and ground black pepper
8 center-cut boneless pork chops (3 to 4 ounces each), 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Lemon wedges 

1. 1. Place 1/3 cup cornstarch in shallow dish or pie plate. In second shallow dish, whisk buttermilk, mustard, and garlic until combined. Process cornflakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/3 cup cornstarch in food processor until cornflakes are finely ground, about 10 seconds. Transfer cornflake mixture to third shallow dish.
   
   
   
   2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. With sharp knife, cut 1/16-inch-deep slits on both sides of chops, spaced ½ inch apart, in crosshatch pattern. Season chops liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge 1 chop in cornstarch; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with buttermilk mixture; let excess drip off. Coat with cornflake mixture; gently pat off excess. Transfer coated chop to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining chops. Let coated chops stand 10 minutes.
   
   
   
   3. Heat 1/3 cup oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place 4 chops in skillet and cook until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip chops and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, crispy, and center of chop registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chops to paper towel-lined plate and let drain 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to clean wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet, then transfer to oven to keep warm. Discard oil in skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Repeat process with remaining oil and pork chops. Serve with lemon wedges.