Sweet Onion Cherry Pork Chops

Summer continues. All kids home, full house. Drove a Lincoln run Tuesday-Wednesday. Book two copyedits finished Thursday — I sent the manuscript back to Sarah Thursday night. She says layout begins in two weeks and publication is February 2025.

Justin had an orientation weekend at UNK in Kearney. He drove over alone with his truck. He came back Sunday looking a little overwhelmed but determined. "Mom. It was a lot of people." I said, "Baby. It's always a lot of people at first." He nodded. He went to his room. He is 17 and about to do something he has not done since the JV football team — be one of many.

Tyler packed his first set of boxes for Milford Sunday. Two of them. He is not moving until mid-August, but he wants to be ready. Tyler is Tyler.

Gayle had a very good week. She ate full meals. She walked outside with me twice. She asked me to bring her her knitting from home — she has not knit in five years, but she wants to try again. I drove to her house Saturday morning and came back with three bags of yarn and her needles. She started a small square Saturday afternoon. Her hands were stiff but they worked. She said, "I will make you a scarf." I said, "Ma. I would love that." She nodded and kept knitting.

Dave's back had a manageable week. He walked every morning. He took his chiropractic appointments. He said, "Brenda. I think I will need surgery before the year is out." I said, "Dave. We'll do whatever you need." He said, "I know."

Sunday dinner: pot roast, seven at the table. Gayle ate a full plate. I noted it in my journal. Every good plate is a good day.

Pot roast has always been my go-to for a full table — but that Sunday, with Gayle eating a complete plate and Tyler’s boxes stacked by the door and Justin still quiet from his weekend at UNK, I wanted something that felt like both comfort and celebration. Sweet Onion Cherry Pork Chops hit that note: sweet enough to feel like a summer occasion, savory enough to anchor a table of seven people who all needed feeding in more ways than one. It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t ask anything of you while it cooks — and that Sunday, I needed exactly that.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6–8

Ingredients

6–8 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen dark sweet cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
Sear. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork chops in batches and sear 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Soften the onions. Reduce heat to medium. Add sliced sweet onion to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Build the sauce. Stir in the cherries, cherry preserves, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and chicken broth. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture come to a gentle simmer.
Finish together. Nestle the seared pork chops back into the pan, spooning sauce over the top. Cover and simmer on low heat for 12–15 minutes, until pork chops are cooked through (internal temperature of 145°F).
Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes before serving. Spoon onion and cherry sauce generously over each chop.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Onion Cherry Pork Chops — The Sunday Table That Fed Everyone