Sautéed Pork Chops With Fresh Pear Salsa
The sweet and spicy pear salsa made with ripe Bosc pears, sweet red onions, chilies, cilantro, lime juice and a touch of honey is a perfect compliment to pork chops as it balances the pork’s rich flavor. The dish requires minimal prep time and cooking making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
Bosc pears are a fall fruit but they arrived early at our market this year. They are slightly acidic and lightly spicy, the flesh is firm but juicy, crunchy and yet tender and great for cooking. To test for ripeness, check the neck by pressing gently with your finger for a slight give. Or ripen this variety by leaving it out at room temperature.
The lean and flavorful thin cut, boneless pork loin chops are quickly sautéed until golden brown so that the pork remains tender and juicy. The pear salsa is fresh tasting and light, a perfect compliment to the boneless pork chops as it balances their rich flavor. So go ahead and pile a big, heaping scoop of pear salsa on top of the pork chops. The fruity and spicy flavors in the salsa are the perfect partner to the savory, juicy pork chops. This is a simple recipe using budget friendly pork that can be on your table quickly, I hope you give it a try.
Pear Salsa
Recipe serves 2 generously, adjust the recipe accordingly
- 2 pears peeled, cored and diced
- 1/4 c. sweet red onion, chopped
- a handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 inch squirt of ginger paste (I use gourmet garden but grated fresh ginger can be substituted)
- Juice from 1 lime, more or less
- 1 red chili, seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp. honey, more if needed
- salt and pepper to taste
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and toss gently. Let rest for 30 minutes for the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. If the salsa isn’t spicy enough, add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce.
Sautéed Pork Chops
- 2 thin cut pork loin boneless chops
- salt and pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- onion powder to taste
- cumin to taste
- flour for dusting (I like to use Wondra)
- peanut or canola oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan
Pat the pork dry with paper towel then place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to even out the thickness. Sprinkle each side with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. Dust with flour and press into meat.
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the pork and sauté until golden brown on the first side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until golden. Be careful not to overcook the pork as it is thin.
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Fruit goes so well with pork and in the past I’ve served pork with sautéed apples as a side, grilled peaches and plum compote. I had originally planned to poach the pears I had in a salad with blue cheese and nuts. Instead, I decided do something different and created the pear salsa. The pears were sweet and the red chili had just the right amount of heat but you can make it as sweet or as spicy as you wish. The pear salsa was a delicious addition to the pork and I’m sure it would be great on chicken or fish as well.
The salsa looks really delicious! thank you for sharing.
What a great recipe. I’ve never tried pear in a salsa before but must give this a go 🙂
What a yummy recipe!!
What an unusual and different pairing, sounds lovely!
This sounds wonderful!!!
I love the sweet and spicy combination, it enhances your pork both visually and taste!
How lovely – I haven’t seen Bosc pears before!
Tasty looking dish. Great idea, to use pears for the salsa. 🙂
Pear salsa – I must try the recipe!
Such a nice meal! The pork looks so juicy and tender.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Mmm… I’m drooling thinking of thin pork chops cooked quickly. That pear salsa looked spectacular.
OOhhh, the pear salsa sounds faboo. A wonderful new idea.
Oh, my goodness, YES!
I love pork, and I love pears, so this looks absolutely delicious. Thank you.
What a great idea to serve pear salsa, other than the usual apple! The flavours would really pear (hehehe) well with the pork.
That pear salsa sounds especially good and excellent for those chops. It would be good with pork tenderloin, too!
Karen what a nice meal! I had everything except the pears so it was off to the store for Don. I did make a change – used date syrup for the honey and a little less ginger. Thanks! Pam
What an interesting accompaniment to pork. I’ll bet that it’s delicious. I just had boneless chops the other day. Wish I’d seen this first!
I love this twist on the pairing of pork with pears. This is a dish I can’t wait to try (when the temperature is below 100°!).
Karen, this dish looks fabulous. The fresh pear salsa sounds amazing with the sautéed pork chop. Thanks for sharing!
That pear salsa is a real winner! I love that sweet and savory interplay; it would be great on so many different proteins.
How beautifully flavorful, Karen. And the fresh pear salsa is a real treat I can fully agree is an excellent complement. I don’t think I’ve ever had this combo–and should soon. 😉
Pork and fruit make such ideal partners. I’ve never done a pear salsa before, but this sounds marvelous, especially with the ginger.
Pork and fruit are such ideal partners. I’ve never made a pear salsa before, but I bet it’s delicious, especially with all that ginger.
I always serve apples with pork but next time, I am definitely going to use pears. Thanks.
The combination of flavors here sounds great! We don’t often grill pork chops, and I’m not really sure why. It’s just not in our usual routine, but clearly I need to update that routine – and then grab some pears at the store, too!
This sounds like a really delicious dish! That Pear Salsa sounds so good and it’s the perfect time of year to use pears in recipes! 🙂
The balance between the rich and juicy pork chops and the sweet and spicy pear salsa sounds incredibly appetizing. Lovin this recipe
I’d have to forego the pork chops but i like the sound of the pear salsa!
I love fruit-based salsa, but I don’t think I’ve ever had it with pears – how interesting! And I’m also a huge fan of sweet and savoury dishes, so pairing it with porkchops sounds just perfect to me!
I’ve tried mango salsa before, but sounds like pear salsa would be a nice alternative. Paired (or ‘peared’) with pork chops sounds like the way to go!
Your dinner pictured is an amazing combination of flavors. I love the idea of pear salsa and pork.
Pear salsa is new and exciting for me, this looks fantastic!!
Never tried a pear salsa. We make a mango and peach salsa – sometimes we’ll add small shrimp and eat with corn chips 😋