Pork Chops With Blueberries & Thyme
By: Nicole Aloni
Published: Monday, November 30, 2009 - 1:28pm

Ingredients




4 pork chops, 1-inch thick
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock (or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth)
3/4 cup ruby Port or Merlot
1/2 cup blueberry jelly
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Preparation

1 Preheat the oven to 400° F. 2 Grind the thyme, salt, black pepper, and olive oil in a mortar and pestle or spice mill to form a paste. Rub pork chops with a total of 1 1/2 tablespoons of the thyme mixture. Let the chops rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 3 Melt the butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the chops and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to an oven-safe dish and finish cooking in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145° F. Let rest for 4 to 5 minutes before serving. 4 While the pork is resting, add the chicken stock, Port, and remaining thyme paste to the skillet used to brown the chops and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes. 5 Add the blueberry jelly and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Stir in the fresh blueberries and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon the sauce over the pork chops and serve.

About


This was inspired by a popular Milanese recipe. And what a great way to use blueberries when they are at the peak of their season. The sweetness of the berries blends beautifully with thyme in this super simple preparation that celebrates the last days of summer.  I've included a link to a good recipe for blueberry jelly in case you'd like to prepare that,too.