Pork Chops & Summer Fruit Salsa

The grocery list.

• 3-4 bone-in pork chops — high quality, thick-cut and bone-in is the way to go for this dish. I love the giant fat-cap on these succulent cuts of pork.
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper — a simple dash of salt and pepper make this pork shine.
• 1/4 cup whole grain mustard — I’ve made this recipe with both whole grain and Dijon mustard with great success. I love the slight pop and crunch of the whole grain and enjoy the tanginess of the Dijon. Use what you have on hand!
• 3 fresh nectarines (or peaches), diced — nectarines are my absolute favorite summer fruit and pair so perfectly with pork chops. Pork is naturally a little sweet and these summer fruits highlight that sweetness.
• 1/2 cup blueberries — fresh blueberries at the peak of summer, can you tell me what’s better?? I’ll wait…
• 1/4 cup basil, minced — fresh summer basil should be incorporated into as many dishes from the months of June-September as possible.
• 3 tablespoons olive oil — bright and full of flavor, fresh high-quality olive oil should smell and taste of fresh green tomatoes.
• 1 tablespoon shallots, diced — Shallots are the love-child of garlic and onions, perfectly balanced and a taste that is just the right amount of both of those ingredients.
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar — Balsamic vinegar is one of my favorites and think it pairs so beautifully with the nectarines and blueberries as well as classically with the fresh summer basil.
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes — if you are sensitive to spice, you may omit these red pepper flakes but I love the warmth it adds to this fresh and sweet summer fruit salsa.
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom — one of my favorite spices in the spice cabinet. It’s a little sweet and a little salty, providing all the balance to this dish.
• 2 teaspoon honey — there is plenty of sweet in this dish from the natural sweetness of the fruit but this bit of honey also helps balance out the vinegar in the dressing. You can omit this or reduce the amount if you wish but it may leave the overall taste with a little more tang than intended.
• Cooked white rice or rice pilaf — I’m a fan of pairing this recipe with Pressure Cooker Coconut Rice, give it a go and let me know what you think!

Preparing the pork.

One of the best parts about this recipe is how flavorful the the pork is with little effort. Simply pat the pork dry, season with salt and pepper and some whole grain or Dijon mustard and it’s ready to be cooked. These chops can be made in a pan (cast iron is always my go-to) or on the grill. For these thick-cut chops I prefer a cast iron pan. Since there is a considerable fat-cap on many pork chops, start by searing the fat. There is no need to layer the skillet with oil or butter when you can render the fat from the pork and cook the pork in its own fat. Talk about a great way to use every part of the pork and hammer in the flavor!

Once the fat has rendered slightly, cook the chops on each side for 4-3 minutes before placing the entire cast iron in a pre-heating oven. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 140-145°F. Allow the pork chops to rest for 5 minutes before serving. While the pork chops rest, prepare the fruit salsa ingredients.

Preparing the summer fruit salsa.

The absolute best part about this dish is all the fresh summer fruits and how easily it comes together. A simple chop, dice and toss of the ingredients and your summer dish is complete. We are fortunate to live in a place where these fruits are accessible to us year-round. While that is an amazing thing, there is nothing better than local and seasonally-fresh. Any time you can support local farms and choose fruits and veggies that are ripe with the season, the dish sings.

How to serve this Pork Chops & Summer Fruit Salsa dish.

First, make this dish in the peak of summer! You can absolutely make this year-round (I do in my house!) but I promise there is nothing better than peak freshness summer fruits. The nectarines have a strong sweetness and the blueberries are bold in flavor. We’ve all experiences dull-tasting berries and what do you expect when we are forcing Mother Nature to produce outside the natural cycle. I’m always grateful for year-round accessibility to our favorite foods but there really is nothing better than peak-freshness.

Second, the pork and fruit salsa hold up on their own but if you need a little more to fill the bellies at meal-time, I suggest making a batch of Pressure Cooker Coconut Rice to serve alongside. Scoop a warm pile of rice on your plate, stack a perfectly cooked pork chop and heap of fresh summer salsa and enjoy.

Lastly, make it to share! Meals are always better when shared with friends or family. Make this dish to serve sitting on a back porch on a cool summer night. Cheers to health and happiness!

Looking for similar dinner ideas?

Here are a few to try:

PORK CHOPS WITH CRANBERRY SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE CRUMB

SMOKED CHICKEN & MANGO BOWL

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BALSAMIC RED ONIONS AND ROASTED GRAPES

Lastly, if you make this Pork Chops & Summer Fruit Salsa recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!

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