Pan-seared Pork Chops with Carmelized Red Onions and Sage

This is an incredibly simple preparation that offers wonderful earthy comforting flavors without being heavy.  While I love the sweetness and color offered by the red onions called for here, a sweet Maui or Vidalia onion would be great too.  You can even go for an everyday yellow onion.  Just sprinkle the onions with a scant amount of sugar just after they’ve started to soften up.

I call for chops that are ¾- to 1” thick.  If you go thicker than that, you’ll likely need to finish them in the oven.  This won’t add much to your time because they can just finish in a 350-degree oven while you caramelize the onions.

Ingredients
Meat
Four ¾- to 1” pork chops, bone-in or boneless
Grapeseed or vegetable oil :  enough to lightly coat bottom of pan.  Do not use olive oil.  Its smoke-point is too low.

For brine
8 cups water
1/3 cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar

For onion preparation
1 large red onion, cut into 1/8” rounds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or to taste)

Special Equipment
Cast iron skillet

Instructions

Brine the pork chops

1. Combine brine ingredients and submerge chops in it.  Brine for about 1 hour, though chops could be left in brine all day (I would reduce salt to ¼ cup if I were brining for more than 3 hours).

Cook chops

1. Turn heat on cast iron pan on to high.  Add grapeseed oil.  Heat until pan is very hot but not smoking.
2. Remove chops from brine and pat dry.
3. Score fat on edges of chops by making slashes into the fat but not into the meat about 1” apart.
4. When pan is ready, you will add the chops to the pan without allowing them to touch eachother.  Take care, however, that you place them well because you do not want to move them at all once they’ve touched the bottom of the pan or you will adversely affect browning.
5. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes on the first side.  Flip and give them about two minutes on the second side.  Use the touch test to test for doneness.  When they feel firm but not hard, they’re done.  If they still feel springy or doughy in the middle, give them a little time.
6. Remove chops from heat and wrap securely in aluminum foil to rest.

Cook onions

1. Reduce heat in pan to medium, allowing 90 seconds or so for this to happen.
2. Add more oil as needed.  Add onion to pan and season with salt.
3. Cook on medium heat until very soft, translucent and caramel in color, about 10 minutes.
4. Add sage and combine on heat for about 45 seconds.

Finish dish

Pour juices that have accumulated in the foil into the onion mixture and stir to combine.  Serve pork chops with onions on top.  You may wish to finish with a little extra chopped sage sprinkled over the dish.

Off Script…

Substitute the sage for thyme, tarragon, parsley, rosemary or any other fresh herb you may have around.  Adjust amounts of these herbs according to their strength.

Add mushrooms to the onion mixture.  Because mushrooms have a lot of water, you could add them at the same time you add the onions.

Make a pan sauce from the fond in the pan.  After removing onions from pan, use a ½ cup of a light red wine such as beaujolais, pinot noir or zinfandel to deglaze the pan.  Reduce wine to ¼ cup and combine with onion mixture.