Seared Pork With Peach Chutney Recipe

Pork chops are known universally as an easy meal, perfect for quick weeknights and busy weekends, albeit with a bad reputation. They're tasty and filling without feeling extravagant and pair well with just about any side, but have a tendency to dry out, quickly becoming a brick of flavorless meat. 

At this point, some of you might be cringing at the thought of dry, chewy pork, a dinner you've had too many times; we're here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way. Seared quickly and finished over lower heat, pork chops maintain their juicy and flavorful interior. Paired with a sweet-and-savory chutney made with peaches, chiles, and ginger, these pork chops are far from the dry, bland dinners you're haunted by. 

In this recipe by developer Michelle McGlinn, the peaches are simmered until jammy, then dressed over thin-cut, quick-seared pork chops and paired with peppery arugula. It's the perfect dinner for when you have a fresh bag of peaches from the farmer's market and a hot summer evening to enjoy them with. And if you still have peaches left after the chutney? Finish dinner with a cobbler.

For the chutney, you'll need peaches, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger, a shallot, and a Thai chili pepper. The peaches will need to be peeled and chopped before using; the easiest way to do this is by using firm peaches and peeling their skin with a vegetable peeler. The Thai chili pepper is a spicy addition to the chutney, and just one does the trick, but if you can't find Thai chilies near you, just swap it for serrano or jalapeño. We recommend de-seeding any chiles you use so the spice doesn't overpower the peach.

From there, you'll just need salt, pepper, pork chops, and arugula. We used a thin-cut pork chop, which sears quickly and is ready in minutes. This recipe works with thick pork chops too (1 inch or so in thickness), but be prepared to adjust the cook time after searing.

With firm, barely-ripe peaches, the skin can be peeled off easily with a vegetable peeler. Do this first, then chop around the pit and dice the peaches. A rough chop is fine, since the peaches will get jammy and lose shape in the chutney. 

If you only have soft, super-ripe peaches, you can still remove the skin but it will need a little more prep. To do this, bring a pot of water to boil, then score a large, shallow 'X' in the bottom of each peach. Drop them into the water and boil for about 30 seconds, then remove and let cool. The skin will have loosened near the 'X,' and you should be able to peel the skin away easily.

You can think of this like making a jam with savory elements. First, dissolve the sugar into the vinegar in a pan on the stove. Add the aromatics to the pan and cook until soft. Add in the chopped peaches and turn the heat as low as it can go. The peaches will simmer gently, breaking down into soft, jammy pieces. 

Don't try to speed this up by turning the heat to high; that will brown the peaches instead. The goal is to keep moisture in the pan so the peaches get saucy. If the skillet does dry out (some stoves can be tricky), just add a splash of water or a pat of butter to keep it moist.

Remove the chutney from the skillet and turn the heat to medium or medium-high. Add oil and scrape any browned bits from the bottom, but keep everything in the pot — there's a lot of flavor in there in those brown bits. Carefully add the seasoned pork chops and sear, browning for a minute or so on either side. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add a few spoonfuls of chutney. Continue to cook, simmering in the chutney, until golden on either side and cooked through. This will take a few extra minutes with thicker chops.

Arrange arugula on a plate or bowl and serve the pork chops over top, like a salad. If arugula is a little too peppery to you, massage it with olive oil and add some fresh lemon juice, or swap for kale or spinach. Prefer your pork with a carb? Try roasted potatoes or soft wild rice. You can also prepare a side salad to pair with the chops, like our Brussels and broccoli salad.

These pork chops save well, and can be made ahead for meal prep easily. Better yet, the chutney can be made up to five days ahead of time and warmed through with the pork when you're ready for dinner.