Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Apricot-Dijon Sauce packs a LOT of flavor with little effort. Actual cooking time will depend on how thick your chops are, so keep a close eye on the meat temp because you don’t want them to dry out. Ours were about 3/4″ thick and took a total of 8 minutes, although Russ started checking after 6 minutes.
Our simple tabbouleh-inspired green peas and farro side was a perfect companion to the seared pork chops. The original recipe by Christine Burns Rudalevige from Fine Cooking indicates to use bulgur, but since we didn’t have any—and our pantry was full of just about every other type of grain—we substituted Italian Farro. I can’t tell you enough how much we really liked this side dish!
Just to be safe, I cooked the farro according to package instructions and used homemade chicken stock which boosted the flavor to yet another level. And instead of draining the liquid over the peas, I added the peas to the hot farro keeping them both warm until the meat sauce was in it’s final reduction.
Here’s the lowdown on bulgur versus farro. One cup of cooked bulgur contains 151 calories while a cup of farro contains significantly more with 340 calories. A cup of cooked farro also contains about 2 grams of fat, compared to the less than 0.5 gram of fat in a cup of cooked bulgur. But farro is a star in terms of protein with about 14 grams per cup, while a cup of cooked bulgur contains 5.6 grams of protein. If you’re looking for a way to increase your intake of essential nutrients, farro is a better choice than bulgur.
Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Apricot-Dijon Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp. vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 3 Tbs. apricot preserves
- 3 Tbs. apple-cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage
Directions
- Season the pork well with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and cook, flipping once, until well browned and cooked through (140°F), 7 to 8 minutes total.
- Transfer to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest while you make the pan sauce.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the stock, and cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
- Add the preserves, vinegar, mustard, and sage, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the juices from the resting pork, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
(We also reduced the sauce again here for about 5 minutes to thicken it.) - Serve the chops with the sauce.
Pork chop recipe by Lynne Curry from Fine Cooking
Green Peas with Bulgur, Garlic, Fresh Herbs, and Feta
Green Peas with Bulgur, Garlic, Fresh Herbs and Feta
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups medium-grind bulgur
- 6-1/2 oz. (about 1-1/2 cups) frozen peas
- 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. honey
- Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh tender herbs (preferably a mix of parsley, chives, and mint)
- 3 oz. crumbled feta (about 3/4 cup), more to taste
Directions
- In a small saucepan, simmer the garlic in the oil until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Put the bulgur and 5 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the peas in a colander in the sink. Drain the bulgur over the peas, and rinse under cold water.
- With a fork, mash the garlic to a paste. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice, honey, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
- Add the bulgur and peas, and toss. Add the herbs and feta and toss again. Season to taste with salt and additional feta, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Accounting for Taste 