Ingredients
4 bone-in ribeye (rib) pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Pear Glaze:
1/3 cup pear nectar, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 firm but ripe Anjour pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cooking Directions
To make glaze, bring pear nectar to simmer in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger root, and cayenne. Stir until sugar is dissolved and sauce begins to simmer. Add pears and stir to coat. Cook, basting pears frequently, until pears are barely tender, 4 minutes. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons of pear nectar with cornstarch and stir into pear mixture. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Wipe out skillet.
Combine flour, thyme, pepper, and salt on plate. Dredge chops in flour mixture, coating all sides and shaking off excess.
Using same pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and swirl to coat pan. Add pork chops and brown on each side, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Turn heat to low and pour pear mixture over top, cover, and cook until chops and internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees F and pears are tender, about 5 minutes. Let rest 3 minutes and then serve.
Serves 4.
Serving Suggestions
This one-skillet dish is a perfect pairing of pork and braised fruit, especially with a hint of soy sauce and a touch of cayenne. Three apples, such as Golden Delicious, could be substituted for the pears. If you wanted to serve this to company, you could make the pear glaze 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Warm the glaze before adding to the chops in the pan.