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For a quick supper, you can’t beat pork chops. They are succulent and hearty, take little time to prepare, and fit the bill for a chilly weeknight meal.
Top them with an easy pan sauce, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, and you have a no-fuss dish worthy to serve to company.
Thick, bone-in pork chops have a lot of flavor and won’t dry out as much during cooking as boneless chops. Once they are seared and cooked, transfer them to a plate and keep them warm with a loose covering of foil while you make the sauce.
Add some shallots to the hot pan and scrape the bottom to help release the tasty brown bits that have collected. Add the pomegranate juice and thyme, and simmer until the juice reduces by about one-third (you can eyeball this).
For a velvety smooth finish, use a French trick: Take the pan off the heat and whisk in some cold butter to form a smooth emulsion.
As for the pomegranate seeds (arils) to garnish, either buy them already prepared or use this method to separate the arils from the fruit.
My own personal favorite way to extract the seeds is very uncomplicated: halve the pomegranate across the equator. Hold one half, seed side down over a bowl. Then bash it firmly all around with a heavy wooden spoon to release the seeds into the bowl.
Pork Chops with Pomegranate Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in center cut pork chops, about 1-inch thick
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (for garnish)
- Seeds from 1 pomegranate (for garnish)
Method
1 Generously sprinkle the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
2 Sear the chops: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the pork chops to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on a side, or until they are golden brown on both sides and a thermometer inserted into the center of a chop registers 145F.
Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep the chops warm while you make the glaze.
3 Make the glaze: Pour off and discard all but a thin layer of oil from the pan and return the pan to the heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add the pomegranate juice, honey, vinegar and thyme. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Take the pan off the heat. Remove the thyme sprigs and whisk in the butter.
4 To serve: Transfer chops to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the glaze over top and sprinkle with parsley and pomegranate seeds.
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Sally Pasley Vargas is a freelance writer and the author of three cookbooks (Food for Friends, The Tao of Cooking, Ten Speed Press, and The Cranberry Cookbook). She currently writes the column The Confident Cook for The Boston Globe along with seasonal recipes for the Wednesday Food Section.
Pork Chops with Pomegranate Glaze
MMM!!….Could I possibly do this recipe using 2-3 pork tenderloins (2-3 pounds) instead of the chops?!! The flavour profile makes me salivate in anticipation…Lovely, well-formulated, clear directions! Incredible thanks.
Hi Donna, yes, I think that would work. If cooking whole tenderloins, brown them but transfer to the oven (375 would be good) to finish until they are 145 degrees. Then make the sauce as the loins finish. Or, you can cut the tenderloins into medallions about 2″ thick and sear them in the skillet like they are mini pork chops. Happy cooking!
Thanking you ever so much…..the pork loin and glaze were perfect! The medallion method is beautiful for the browning factor…just excellent!!
Why is the font so small. Almost need a magnifying glass to read the printed recipe.
Hi Janet,
We’re just doing our part to keep paper waste at a minimum. But it is nice to be able to read things!
To increase the font size, click “Print”. It will open up a dialog box. Scroll down a little and select “More Settings.” Where it says “Scale”, Select “Custom” and in the box below, type in 200. This will double the size of the font. Hope that helps! It might be a little different on your computer, but that’s the general idea.
Amazing recipe, great for a big company! Easy to cook. I just love my chops hot. Therefore I made the sauce first. I fried some bacon, took it off the pen, added some olive oil and then followed the recipe precisely. Also I used pomegranate/cherry juice once. Very good!
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I’m so glad you liked it Anya!
I made this last night. It was great and the family loved it! I did need to thicken the sauce a teeny tiny bit but that’s all.
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This looks amazing. My fiancee would love this since he loves pomegranate seeds! What carbs and veggies do you recommend pairing this with? Also, how do you mainain the pork chops moist and tender?
Hi, Jacqui! I’d go with roasted fall vegetables with this dish — roasted brussels sprouts, squash, and cauliflower. I think that would be fantastic. Maintaining moist and tender pork chops is mostly a matter of not overcooking them. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature if you can, and just follow the instructions in the recipe. You can also brine your pork chops for a half hour or so in a mixture of 1/4 cup of salt mixed into 1 quart of water. The brine can help add some extra insurance. Enjoy!