Stone Fruit Pork Chops

Last week I was in the mood for…pork chops. This is a very strange craving for me, as I have literally never cooked pork chops before. But last time I was home, my dad made this recipe and I am now sold on the whole pork-is-the-new-white-meat thing. At least with this particular recipe, which is summery and feels like it was made for $25 per chop in a nice restaurant. It required buying some new spices, but is totally worth it as I will be making this dish again and again with whatever fruit is in season. Adapted from Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes.

Ingredients:

1 pound stone fruit (I used a combination of plums, nectarines, and pears)

Four 8-ounce pork chops, bone in

5 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 medium fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped (I used a small jalapeño)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Juice of ½ orange

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut the fruit into large slices (for example a small plum could just be cut in half). Lay the chops in a shallow ovenproof dish and tuck the fruit in around them where they can lie in a single layer without overlapping too much.

2. Mix together the honey, five-spice powder, ginger, chile, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Pour over the chops and fruit, turning everything to make sure all are well coated. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through.