By March. Spring is a rumor again. The crocuses are pushing through and the construction site is thawing and my back is doing its annual spring complaint, which is different from its winter complaint and its summer complaint and its fall complaint in ways that only a fifty-year-old spine can articulate. The back has opinions about every season. None of the opinions are positive.
Travis's wedding is seven weeks away. The planning has reached fever pitch: Jolene has a binder. The binder has tabs. The tabs have sub-tabs. Travis showed me the binder and his face had the expression of a man who has seen the face of God and the face is made of spreadsheets. I told him to breathe. He said "I'm breathing. I just don't understand why we need chair sashes." I said "You don't need to understand. You need to say yes." This is the only wedding advice I have, and it is comprehensive and complete.
Meanwhile, Amber is finishing nursing school. She graduates in May. Amber, the first Hensley to go to college, is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky. I want to say that again because the sentence still doesn't feel real: my daughter is graduating from UK with a nursing degree. Earl's granddaughter. Betty's granddaughter. The granddaughter of a coal miner and a woman who cooked on a coal stove. A nurse. A healer. A woman who will save lives with her hands and her knowledge, the same hands that used to help Betty shell peas on the porch in Evarts.
This week: pork tenderloin. Not smoked — roasted. Simple, fast, elegant in a way that my cooking usually isn't. Pork tenderloin is the tuxedo of pork: slim, refined, nothing wasted. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried rosemary. Sear in a cast iron skillet on all sides. Transfer to the oven at 400 for fifteen to twenty minutes until the internal temp hits 145. Rest ten minutes. Slice into medallions. The meat is pink, tender, juice pooling on the cutting board like evidence that you did something right.
Serve with Betty's applesauce and mashed potatoes. The pork, the apple, the potato — three humble ingredients, three simple preparations, one complete meal that says: spring is coming, the wedding is coming, the graduation is coming, the world is turning, and the food is good. The food is always good.
The story called for pork with fruit — that’s the meal, that’s the season, that’s the mood. I mentioned Betty’s applesauce because that’s what she would have put on the table, but when I went looking for something to share here, these pork chops with cherry sauce stopped me cold: same instinct, same logic, just dressed up a little fancier, which feels right given that there’s a wedding in seven weeks and a graduation in ten and maybe this household is allowed one elegant dinner before the chaos arrives. Pork and fruit have always understood each other. So does this family, when we sit down long enough to eat.
Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried), for finishing
Instructions
- Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme, then rub evenly over both sides of each chop.
- Sear. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add pork chops and sear without moving for 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil to rest.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add the shallot and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the cherries. Add cherries, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and honey to the skillet. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer 5–7 minutes until the cherries have softened and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Finish and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return pork chops to the pan for one minute to warm through and glaze. Plate the chops and spoon the cherry sauce generously over the top. Finish with fresh thyme if using.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 480mg