Roasted Pears and Pork Chops
Roasted Pears and Pork Chops is a beautiful and delightfully tasty spin on seared pork chops … surrounded by shallots and baked juicy pears and covered in an apple and maple-flavored sauce.
Whether you are cooking for a fancy dinner party or just good times with friends and family, this is a dish that’s sure to impress leaving little to no leftovers.
What do you need to make Roasted pears and porkchops?
Here’s your grocery list:
- Pork chops, 4 to 6 1-inch thick chops {about3 pounds}
- Black pepper, 1 tablespoon
- Kosher salt, 1/4 tablespoon
- Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Shallots, 7 medium {or sliced onion wedges}
- Pear slices {or pear wedges}, 3 firm, fresh, and ripe pears – {core pears then cut into slices or wedges}
- Onion, 1 small chopped
- Apple juice, 1/2 cup
- Apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup
- Pure maple syrup, 4 tablespoons
- Honey, 1 tablespoon
- Unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons butter – softened to room temperature
- Sage, fresh sage – 1 1/2 tablespoons
- Ginger, fresh ginger – 1 1/2 teaspoon
- Rosemary, fresh rosemary – 2 to 3 sprigs
- Thyme, fresh thyme – 2 to 3 sprigs
- Fennel seeds, 1 to 2 teaspoons – Optional
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What kitchen tools do you need for this Pork Chop and Pear Recipe?
- Large ovenproof skillet {like a cast-iron heavy skillet}, 10 to 12-inch
- Tongs
- Rimmed baking sheet or baking pan
- Aluminum foil
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Paper towels
How do you make this Easy Pork Chop Recipe?
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Cut the pork chops to a 1-inch thickness with a sharp knife. Pat both sides of the pork with a paper towel to dry. Then pre-season the meat with salt and pepper, to your preferred taste. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you begin to prep your other ingredients.
Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet or baking pan with a large layer of aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) cast-iron or large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the olive oil to your hot pan and heat for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using tongs, slowly and carefully (to avoid oil splatter burns) add the pork chops to the large skillet.
Sear the porks chops by heating for 4½ minutes on one side until a nice crust forms, dark brown in color. Then flip each chop over, and sear the other sides of the pork chops for about 2½ to 3 minutes on the other side.
RECIPE NOTE: Pan-searing is the process of cooking the meat over high heat in oil or butter to brown and caramelize each side, creating a dark crust. Searing usually takes only a few minutes on each side while allowing the meat to remain medium-rare on the inside.
Remove the seared pork chops from the skillet and then place them in a prepared rimmed baking pan or baking sheet. Do not remove the remaining oil or brown bits leftover in the skillet. Those brown bits will add so much flavor to the dish!
One of the best ways to serve pork chops and pears…
The combination of seared pork with a sweetened and soft baked pear recipe served in the pan juices is absolutely delicious! Add the pears by placing them around the pork chops in a single layer then roast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. This roasting process will help maintain the flavorful caramelized crust on the outside of the pork while softening the pears.
Meanwhile, reheat the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat while the chops and pears are roasting in the oven.
What are shallots?
In our household, we love to use chunks of onion wedges and garlic cloves in many of our recipes. But shallots are on a whole other level and something I’m finding us leaning towards more and more. We LOVE them! They are so easy to use and create incredible flavor and texture in so many meals.
Shallots are great for sweet, delicate, and subtle seasoning and can be used as a substitute to swap out onions or garlic cloves. In fact, they are closely related to garlic, onions, leeks, and even chives but have a much milder taste and smell than onions with just a hint of garlic flavor. If you love green onions, try shallots to enhance the flavor of your recipe or use it chopped in salads or vinaigrettes to add sweetness without the strong flavor of regular onions. AND … they are full of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants!
Let’s get back to this Easy Pork Chop and Pears Recipe …
Add the shallots and onions to the cast-iron skillet and pour in the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and minced ginger. While stirring, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan to combine into your sauce. Continue to stir while they soften and soak up the juices so you are not left with crispy shallots.
Remove the deep golden brown pork and diced pears from the oven. Add the pork chops, pears, and any juices from the baking pan to the skillet.
Stir in the chopped sage, maple syrup, and honey. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and continue stirring until it slightly thickens. Taste test and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Drop in the rosemary and thyme sprigs as well and sprinkle in fennel seeds, if desired. Place one tablespoon of butter on the top of each pork chop and spoon the sauce over the meat while it all cooks together. Remove the skillet from the heat when the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145° F. Continue spooning the sauce over the meat.
Serve and enjoy!
What to serve as a side dish to this delicious pork chop recipe:
- Sweet potatoes sprinkled with brown sugar
- Steamed green beans
- Peas and carrots
- Any type of side salad
- Mashed potatoes – try one of our favorite mashed potato recipes by clicking here
- Additional pear halves, chilled and sprinkled with cinnamon and honey mixture
Looking for a tasty dessert? Try one of these yummy dessert recipes:
Here are some of our favorite recipes …
Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:
- Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
- Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Potatoes
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
- Meat and Potato Timballo Pie
Roasted Pears and Pork Chops
Equipment
- Large ovenproof or cast-iron skillet, 10 to 12-inch
- Tongs
- Rimmed baking sheet or baking pan
- Aluminum foil
- Non-stick Cooking Spray
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 1-inch pork chops , about 3 lbs
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- ¼ tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7 medium shallots , peeled + quartered
- 1 small onion , chopped into wedges
- 3 firm fresh, ripe pears , quartered + cored
- ½ cup apple juice
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ tbsp fresh sage , chopped
- 1½ tsp fresh ginger , minced
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1-2 tsp fennel seeds , Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut pork chops to 1-inch thickness. Pat both sides of the pork with a paper towel to dry. Preseason with salt and pepper, to your preferred taste (but go easy on the salt as pork is naturally salty). Cover, transfer to the refrigerator, and then prep all other ingredients. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet or baking pan with a large layer of aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the olive oil and heat for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using tongs, slowly and carefully (to avoid oil splatter burns) add the pork chops to the skillet.
- Sear the porks chops by heating for 4½ minutes on one side until a dark crust forms, flip each chop over, and sear for about 2½ to 3 minutes on the other side. Remove from the skillet and then transfer to a prepared rimmed baking pan. Do not remove the remaining oil or brown bits leftover in the skillet.
- Add the pears by placing them around the pork chops then roast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. This roasting process will help maintain the flavorful caramelized crust on the outside of the pork while softening the pears.
- Reheat the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat while the chops and pears are roasting. Add the shallots and onions to the cast-iron skillet and pour in the apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and minced ginger. While stirring, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan to combine into your sauce. Continue to stir while they soften and soak up the juices so you are not left with crispy shallots.
- Remove the pork and pears from the oven. Add the pork chops, pears, and any juices from the baking pan to the skillet.(It's ok if the inside of the pork chop is a little pink.)
- Stir in the chopped sage, maple syrup, and honey. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and continue stirring until it thickens then reduce the heat to a simmer. Taste test and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Drop in the rosemary and thyme sprigs and sprinkle in fennel seeds, if desired. Place one tablespoon of butter to the top of each pork chop and spoon the sauce over the meat while it melts and all cooks together. Remove the skillet from the heat when the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145° F. Continue spooning the sauce over the meat.
- Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs prior to serving … enjoy!
Notes
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