Pork Chops with Grilled Peaches
One of my favorite ways to serve pork chops and peaches is with a giant side of fluffy cheese grits!
Fresh peaches, is there anything better than a ripe peach just picked off the tree? Not in my book. It often leads me to quite the conundrum, I buy peaches with such enthusiasm that I’m left trying to figure out how to work them into everything before the fruit flies commence (a common theme around these parts thanks to adult ADHD and my friend Dopamine). Jams and pie filling are great things to put aside for the long cold winters, but I often end up with more than I have time to preserve so they start appearing in lots of dishes.
Enter pork chops, the other white meat. Peaches pair perfectly with pork, wether it chops or loin, the sweet but mild pork complements it beautifully and the mustard pan sauce really just seals the deal. Just like when you’re making a succulent roasted chicken and you want that real crispy skin, it pays off to season the night before, then let the chops sit uncovered in the refrigerator until about an hour before you intend to cook. It may seem unnecessary, but once you start pre-seasoning your meat there will be no looking back.
Ingredients
2 pork chops
sea salt and pepper
1 Tbsp grainy mustard (I love Wagners Idaho Foods)
4 medium peaches, pits removed, sliced into 8ths
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp water, white wine, chicken broth, ale
1-2 Tbsp Honey (to taste, reallllly ripe peaches require less)
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal/grits/polenta
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shredded cheese (like chevre or fontina, anything that melts well)
Season both sides of the pork chop liberally with salt and pepper. Place uncovered on a plate in the refrigerator over night. While you can skip this step and season an hour in advance and dry with a paper towel, an overnight dry brine will leave you with a much crispier crust on your meats.
Remove pork chops from the refigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. About an hour.
Place the pork chops in a cast iron skillet, set heat to medium low until the fat has sufficiently rendered. Increase heat to medium high and cook the pork chops until a golden crust forms, flip and repeat.
Remove the pork from the skillet and transfer to a plate.
Arrange the peaches in the skillet. Carmelize both cut sides.
Meanwhile combine cornmeal, water and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
Once peaches have carmelized on both sides, add water, reserved pork juices from the plate, vinegar, honey and mustard. Swirl until thoroughly combined and slightly reduced.
Serve the pork chops on a bed of grits and spoon the peaches and sauce over the top!