Description
Thick bone-in pork chops seared and oven-finished, then topped with a cranberry-bourbon pan sauce and a pistachio, parsley, and orange gremolata.
Ingredients
For the pork chops and sauce
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 inch thick), Duroc or other heritage breed if available
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp (1 oz) unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Juice of 1 orange
For the gremolata
- ½ cup lightly salted shelled pistachios, chopped
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
1. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Warm a heavy 10- to 12-inch oven-safe skillet, such as cast iron, over high heat. Add the oil, swirl, and reduce the heat to medium.
3. Add the pork chops and sear until deeply golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast 8-11 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into a chop reads 145 degrees.
4. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the butter and shallot. As the butter melts, baste the chops with the pan juices for 30 seconds. Transfer the chops to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil.
5. Off the heat, add the cranberries, stock, bourbon, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt to the skillet. Return to medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the cranberries pop and the mixture reduces by about one-third. Stir in the orange juice.
6. Stir together the pistachios, parsley, orange zest, and garlic for the gremolata.
7. Plate the chops, spoon the cranberry-bourbon sauce over them, sprinkle with gremolata, and serve right away.
Notes
Dairy-free: Baste with olive oil or plant-based butter.
Nut-free: Replace the pistachios with toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds.
Alcohol-free: Use apple cider, or stock plus ½ tsp vanilla extract, in place of the bourbon.
Storage: Refrigerate chops up to 3 days and leftover sauce up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 15-30 minutes resting)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main ourse
- Method: Pan-Searing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pork chop with sauce and gremolata
- Calories: 620 per serving