Choctoberfest: Cherry and Cocoa Pork Chops
Welcome back to Choctoberfest! You may remember that last year during Choctoberfest I made a Cocoa-crusted Pulled Pork. I thought it be fun to see what else I could do with cocoa and pork since it’s such a great combo. Pork is a meat that can really stand up to the bold flavor of cocoa so I was excited to see how else I could pair the two!
Let’s get to it!
Start by heating a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
Now mix together the cocoa powder, salt and chipotle to make a rub. We are wimps when it comes to spice so there is only a little of the pepper. If you like things spicy add more Chipotle to the mix.
Now rub that into both sides of the pork chops. Make sure you also get the sides. You may have to pat the chops down on each side a couple of times to get most of the rub to stick.
Now put the chops in the hot pan and turn it down to medium. You’ll get that wonderful sizzle when it hits the pan. Once the chops are no longer stuck to the pan, flip them over. This will be between six and ten minutes depending on the thickness of your chops. Now cook another four to seven minutes on the other side or until the chop is slightly pink in the center and registers about 145° on a meat thermometer.
Take the chops out of the pan and put them on a plate. Cover them loosely with foil to keep warm.
Now onto the sauce! With the pan still on the heat, pour in the red wine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Now add the cherries and smash them up a bit with your fork.
Let’s get saucy!
Cook that for about ten minutes or until it’s thickened. Then stir in the balsamic and cook another minute.
Pour the sauce over the chops and serve.
The combination of the chipotle and cocoa makes for a smoky flavor. The pork chops with this coating are delicious on their own, but the sauce adds a nice bit of sweetness and other flavor profile with the wine.
Check out some of the other bloggers sharing recipes during Choctoberfest!
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Ingredients
- 2 pork chops
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 cup frozen cherries, thawed
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Mix together the cocoa powder, salt and chipotle and rub the chop on all sides.
- Put the chops in the hot pan and turn it down to medium. Once the chops are no longer stuck to the pan, flip them over. Cook another 4-7 minutes on the other side or until the chop is slightly pink in the center and registers about 145° on a meat thermometer.
- Take the chops out of the pan and put on a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- With the pan still on the heat, pour in red wine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add cherries and smash with your fork. Cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the balsamic and cook another minute.
- Pour sauce over the chops and serve.