Pork Chops With Cherry Port Glaze

This was a nice little dinner for us. It did take me a wee bit of time, but the results were undeniable.

Good things come to those who wait. Or those who brine. A brine is just a salty solution to rest meat in. It swells the cells in the meat and makes the meat hold more fluid. You know how when you eat a super salty meal, you get a little puffy from water retention? Same concept. Except in this case, you get deliciousness instead of imprints where your socks were.

It’s osmosis or whatever. IDK. I never paid attention in science class. Maybe if we learned about the science in food rather than the mitochondria being the powerhouse of the cell I would have paid more attention. Apologies to all my science teachers. I guess I was capable of learning in your classroom; I was just unwilling.

I love to brine things that have a tendency to dry out: my thanksgiving turkey, chicken, and yep… pork chops.

I had some leftover cherries from my dark chocolate cherry scone recipe, and I wanted to make them into something savory rather than another baked good. I succeeded.

Enjoy!

Pork Chops With Cherry Port Glaze

5 from 2 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 396kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 1" thick bone-in pork chops

For the brine:

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • cup kosher salt
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 orange (cut into wedges)
  • 3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper

For the glaze:

  • 1 small onion (sliced vertically)
  • 2 cups cherries (pitted)
  • ½ cup port wine
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary

Instructions

For the brine:

  • Combine all brine ingredients together in a saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, uncover and cool completely (about 30 to 45 minutes). Add 2 cups of ice.
  • Place pork chops in a resealable bag or a shallow dish. Pour brine over the pork, cover or seal. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24.

For the glaze:

  • In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring ocasionally, until onions are transluscent (about 5 minutes).
  • Add cherries to the onions and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Whisk together remaining ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Pour mixture into cherry mixture and cook until thickened. Cover and turn off heat.

To grill the pork:

  • Preheat grill to medium heat.
  • Remove pork from brine. Discard brine.
  • Add pork chops to grill. Grill 4-5 minutes per side.
  • Remove pork from the grill and let rest 3-4 minutes. Serve with cherry glaze and a sprinkle or fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes

I like to whip together the glaze while my husband is grilling the pork.
Click here for the zester I recommend.
Click here for my cherry pitter. It’s like a hole punch for food. It also works to pit olives.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 9542mg | Potassium: 896mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheMessyMrs or tag #BlessThatMess!
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