Pork Chops with a Cranberry Balsamic Glaze

Life has been busy lately. I made the mistake of painting my entire bathroom myself this past weekend (save for the tippy top corners which I had Jeremy fill in since my 5-foot frame couldn’t reach them even on my step ladder) which left me sore and exhausted going into the work week. Looking back I should have spread it out over a couple weekends, but sometimes my enthusiasm for new projects overwhelms my better judgement and I put myself in less than ideal situations. So as of right now, I am pretty pooped. Too pooped to cook, even! But luckily I’d made these pork chops a couple weeks ago and kept the recipe tucked away in my back pocket because I like to hoard recipes from time to time (like ya do) and am pulling it out now for a nice and timely pre-holiday post.

The same way I always rub down my chops with olive oil, I always brine them, too. There’s no surer way to guarantee that the pork will be juicy, well-seasoned, and tender, and all it takes it whisking together some salt and water the night before cooking and throwing the pork in it (the hardest part is just remembering to do it). I added some rosemary to this brine to help their delicious wintery herbal soak all the way through the meat, and I added some fresh rosemary to the glaze and the chops themselves, too, right before searing them. If you don’t have fresh rosemary on hand, you can definitely use dried, just half the quantities since dried rosemary is more potent than the fresh stuff.

I recommend searing the rosemary-brined pork chops, and then tossing the pan in the hot oven to finish them off. It’s the best way to cook them, and I love that the last bit is hands-off so I can pour myself a glass of wine and get my plates and forks situated while they finish cooking. If you want a more detailed breakdown of making the perfect pork chop, you can read more about it here. When it’s done and you drizzle the tart yet sweet cranberry balsamic glaze over them something magical happens…Pork goes shockingly well with fruit glazes. I’d also recommend using this glaze on turkey, chicken, duck, or venison. It’s just a delight!

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Rosemary Pork Chops with a Cranberry Balsamic Glaze

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Marinating Time 1 hour

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 376 kcal

Author Eva Kosmas Flores

Ingredients

Rosemary Pork Chops

• 4 cups room temperature water
• 1/4 cup salt
• 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
• 4 pork chops bone in, about 14 ounces per chop
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cranberry Balsamic Glaze

• 1 Cup Water
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 8 ounces Fresh Cranberries
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
• 1 teaspoon flake kosher salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Rosemary Pork Chops

1. Begin by preparing the brine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, salt, and 1 teaspoon of the fresh rosemary until the salt has dissolved.

2. Place a gallon-sized ziplock bag in a large bowl. Place the pork chops in the bag, and fill the bag with the brine. Seal it and place the bowl with the bag in the refrigerator. Allow the pork chops to brine overnight.
   

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with 2 cast iron skillets inside of it.

4. Remove the pork chops from the brine, rinse them, and pat them dry. Rub them with the olive oil, and season with the remaining 2 teaspoons rosemary and the black pepper.

5. Use oven mitts to transfer the to skillets to the stovetop over medium high heat. Sear the pork chops until golden, fitting 2 per pan, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip them and immediately transfer to pans to the oven.

6. Roast until the thickest part of the pork chops reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve with the cranberry glaze, which you can prepare while they finish in the oven.

Cranberry Balsamic Glaze

1. Bring the water and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cranberries, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the cranberries soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the balsamic, rosemary, salt, and nutmeg and stir to combine.

2. Cook until the glaze has thickened but the cranberries are still visible and not complete pulp, about 5 minutes more, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat and set aside.

Nutrition Facts

Rosemary Pork Chops with a Cranberry Balsamic Glaze

Amount Per Serving

Calories 376 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 89mg30%

Sodium 658mg29%

Potassium 584mg17%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 35IU1%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.