Think pork chops are boring? Not these..... oh no, they are so fancy they could be served in a nice restaurant. Tender and full of flavor, these chops have a sauce that is superb! Fresh sage, shallots, and pears make a delightful cream sauce seasoned perfectly with thyme. Serve them with a vegetable or salad, and you've got a healthy meal your friends and family will rave about!
Pork Chops Normandy
Serves 4
4 boneless pork loin chops
3 tablespoons butter
3 medium pears, peeled and chopped
1 medium shallot, peeled and chopped
5-6 fresh sage leaves, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Place the pork chops in between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Beat them with a meat mallet on both sides to tenderize. Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, brown pork chops in butter over medium high heat. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, sauté the pears, shallots, and sage until crisp tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute longer. Stir in chicken broth and let boil until liquid is evaporated. Stir in the cream and seasonings; cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Return the pork chops to the skillet and nestle down in the sauce. Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes or until meat is cooked through (160°), turning once. Serve chops covered in sauce.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need 4 boneless pork loin chops (one of mine was super thick, so I sliced it in half), butter, 3 pears, a shallot, 5-6 fresh sage leaves, garlic, chicken broth, whipping cream, thyme, salt, and pepper.
First, prepare your ingredients. Roll up the sage leaves into a tight roll, then slice thinly, and continue chopping until minced. Peel and chop the shallot. Cut the pears in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds, then cut out the veins and stem. Peel the pear halves with a potato peeler. Dice the pears into bite size pieces.
In between two sheets of plastic wrap, place the pork chops. Using a meat mallet, pound the chops to tenderize, flipping and doing both sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the butter and swirl to melt, then add the pork chops. Season with salt and pepper.
Brown the pork chops on both sides, then remove and keep warm. (They are not cooked completely, but will be later).
To the skillet, add the sage, shallots, and pears. Sauté until crisp tender.
Add 3 cloves minced garlic (1 1/2 teaspoons) and about 3 tablespoons chicken broth (I just eyeball it and pour it in). Let the sauce simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, ......
.......and 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cook and stir for a few minutes to until the sauce starts to thicken.
Place the pork chops back in the skillet nestled down in the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes or until pork is cooked through. This will be an internal temperature of 160°F. Remove the lid and let it boil for a few more minutes to thicken the sauce again.
These pork chops taste so amazing smothered in the sage and pear sauce! You'll want a little in every bite, and there is plenty of sauce to go around. Fancy, yet easy!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe in a Taste of Home magazine
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