Glazed Smoked Chops with Pears

Valentine's Day tomorrow, which this year I am observing with more intention than usual — not because anything has changed in my personal situation, but because I have decided that Valentine's Day is a holiday I can use to cook something for the people I love regardless of romantic status, which was always the point before the commercialization made it narrow.

I made a batch of the salted caramel sauce that I put on my birthday cake and I divided it into six small jars with labels: for Destiny and Travis, for CJ and Shanice, for James and Dorothy. Six jars of caramel, shipped to Atlanta and Birmingham and driven to Huntsville because CJ came Sunday for the weekend. He came partly to see me and partly, I think, to stock up on home cooking before the baby preparation fully consumes their lives. I made him everything he asked for: pork chops, greens, cornbread, sweet potato pie. He ate like a man who knows what he has and is grateful for it.

We talked about the baby on Sunday evening. He wants a boy, he said, and then immediately said it didn't matter what it was, which is what people always say after they say what they actually want. I told him both statements could be true. He said they had an ultrasound next week. I said call me the second you know. He said, Mama, you'll be the second call. I said, who's the first? He said Shanice's mother. I said, that is correct, and I respect it. He laughed. That is how it is supposed to go.

CJ asked for pork chops before he even walked in the door good, and I already knew that’s what I would make — because when your child is about to become a parent himself, you feed him the food that reminds him where he came from. These glazed smoked chops with pears are what I reached for that Sunday: a little sweet, a little smoky, the kind of thing that makes a person slow down and sit still at the table, which is exactly what I needed him to do before he drove back to Shanice and the next chapter of his life.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 bone-in smoked pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
2 firm ripe pears, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring, for 2—3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the glaze thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
Sear the chops. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the smoked chops dry and season lightly with pepper (they are already salted from smoking). Sear the chops for 3—4 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the pears. Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the pear slices in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip and cook 1—2 minutes more until just softened and lightly caramelized at the edges.
Glaze and finish. Return the chops to the skillet, nestling them among the pears. Spoon the glaze generously over the chops and pears. Cook over medium heat for 4—5 minutes, spooning the glaze over the top once or twice, until the chops are heated through and the glaze is bubbling and lacquered.
Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let the chops rest in the pan for 2 minutes before plating. Arrange the pears alongside the chops and spoon any remaining pan glaze over the top. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Glazed Smoked Chops with Pears — The Meal You Cook for the Son Who Still Comes Home