Cured Pork Chops with Vanilla and Stone Fruit

Traditional brines are heavy on the salt and used to preserve meat but we are just looking for flavor and texture in this recipe. This brine, delicately sweet and infused with vanilla, is perfect with pork and summer stone fruits. Plan for about four hours brining time.

INSTRUCTIONS

Brine Chops:

• To make the brine, stir the brine ingredients together until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
• Add 1 ½ cups cold water and stir. Cool completely.
• Trim excess fat from the chops and reserve.
• Immerse the pork chops in the brine making sure the meat is submerged and chill for four to six hours.

Cook Chops:

• Remove the chops from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature.
• Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet to medium high.
• Melt the reserved pork fat in the pan.
• Pat the chops dry with a paper towel and place them into the pan.
• Save the vanilla bean for your sauce and discard the brine.
• Tip: to sear any meat, once you’ve placed it in the pan, don’t be tempted to move it. The meat will stick but as the natural sugar in the meat begins to caramelize, it will form a crust. Once a rich brown crust has formed, flip the meat and finish cooking just until 160˚ for medium. Remove, place on plate and tent with foil to rest for ten minutes.

Prep Stone Fruit:

• While the meat is cooking, bring a small pot of water to boil and prepare a bowl with ice water.
• Peel the peaches by carving an X just through the skin.
• Drop them in the boiling water just until the X starts to curl, about 30 seconds.
• Drop the peaches in the ice water to stop the cooking.
• Peal and cut into thick slices and set aside.

Make the sauce:

• Pour off most of the fat leaving a tablespoon or so.
• On low heat, sauté the garlic just until tender.
• Add the wine and reserved vanilla bean and simmer to reduce by half scraping up the bits of meat stuck to the pan.
• Add the stock, honey, and jam and simmer until the sauce is a syrupy glaze.
• Add the peaches and cook just until the peaches are warmed through.
• Turn off the heat and swirl in the cold butter.
• Season to taste. Serve the sauce over the Pork chops.
• If you’ve got leftovers, slice the pork and warm it with the peaches and some BBQ sauce for a great sandwich!

*Recipe adapted from Nancy Oaks

About the Chef

Barbie Aknin of Community Cuisine has provided cooking instruction in corporate settings, cooking schools, private events, and in her own home for more than twenty years.

Community Cuisine brings people together in the kitchen to cook, to learn, and to celebrate. We teach the art, technique, and value of cooking by sharing wisdom from culinary traditions past and present. All classes incorporate professional cooking methodology that offers our students the tools they need to tackle any type of cuisine or diet. To learn more about Community Cuisine, visit www.communitycuisine.com