Baked Pork Chops with Pears Recipe
Thick cut pork chops cooked to perfection served with seared pears and a creamy tarragon cider sauce.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 858kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Thick Cut Pork Chops
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- ¾-1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Pear
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Small-Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 35g
- 50 g Butter 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 250 ml Dry Cider 1 Cup
- 125 ml Chicken Stock ½ Cup
- 75 ml Double Cream ⅓ Cup (Heavy Cream in the US)
- 20 g Fresh Tarragon ⅓ Cup
Instructions
- Peel the pear, cut it in half lengthways and then remove the core with a spoon. Cut the pear into slices that are 3-5mm (⅛-¼") thick.
- Mix the lemon juice with enough water to just cover the pear slices when placed in a bowl.
- Peel the shallot, then dice it as finely as you can.
- Strip the tarragon leaves from the stems, discard the stems, then finely chop the leaves.
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan (not non-stick) over a medium heat. Coat the pork chops in the oil, then season generously with salt, paying particular attention to the rind.
- Cook the pork chops rind side down in the frying pan for around 10 minutes. The idea is to begin rendering down the fat and to crisp up the rind. I hold them together and then stand there and sear one half of the rind first, then rock them to sear the second half.
- Once the rind has begun to crisp, turn the heat up to high and when the pan is hot, flip the chops down onto the flesh side and cook for 6 minutes.Flip the chops, cook for 1 more minute to sear the other flesh side a little, then transfer to a preheated baking tray in an oven at 220°C or 430°F and cook for a further 6-7 minutes.
- Return the pan to a medium heat and add the butter. When it begins to foam, toss in the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Pour in the cider and chicken stock, turn the heat up to high and reduce by two-thirds, this will take between 5-10 minutes. Ensure you scrape any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the sauce.
- Whilst the sauce is reducing, heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
- By now, the pork will have had its time in the oven. Check the temperature of the pork using a meat thermometer. I aim to remove the meat from the oven at 62°-65°C or 145°-150°F. Then rest the meat for 7-10 minutes. This will result in a perfectly cooked pork chop that has just a little pinkness when rested.
- Once the sauce has been reduced, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and then pour in the cream and add the tarragon. Gently heat until the pork is ready to serve.
- Finally, dry the pear slices and cook them in a griddle pan for 1-2 minutes per side, then serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 858kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 1230mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 25g
