This photo courtesy of http://www.pomwonderful.com/
***Recently, the great folks at POM Wonderful sent me a case of their POM Wonderful 100% Pure Pomegranate Juice and some of their POMx Iced Coffee (which tastes fantastic!!).
My challenge - Create a recipe with the POM juice and share my results here. I was very excited to receive these samples in the mail and start brain-storming about what sort of dish I'd like to try first. These Pomegranate Glazed Pork Chops were my results. And let me just tell you...I was very proud of the way they came out. The taste was amazing, with a subtle and fresh fruity flavor...not too much and not too little, but just right! The sweetness of the pomegranate juice and brown sugar paired with the savory-ness of fresh rosemary and garlic made for a stellar combination. The flavors were perfect with the pork.
In fact, when I asked Brad if I should make any changes to the recipe, his only suggestion was to make more pork chops the next time around! I was in agreement...I could have easily eaten more than one. It was one of those meals where you want to sop up every little bit of extra sauce off your plate with your dinner roll.
The almonds made the perfect addition at the end and finished the dish beautifully. They added a nuttiness that sent the flavor right over the top. If you've never been a big fan of pomegranates or haven't really experimented with them in the kitchen, maybe you should try this recipe to get you started...Chances are, you'll be hooked. Pomegranate juice is also incredibly healthy for you...What more could you ask for?
I've still got some POM juice in the fridge and I have a few more recipes I'd like to try. One of those is a salad with a pomegranate vinaigrette...What do you think??***
Ingredients:
2 bone-in pork chops
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
2 - 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
First, prepare the pork chops by rinsing them with cold water and patting them dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant (only about 1 minute).
Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until they start to get a nice brown sear. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Remove the pork chops from the skillet to a plate nearby. They will finish cooking once you add them back to the glaze.
Next, add the pomegranate juice all at once to the skillet and stir well. This will deglaze the pan and remove the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (adding more flavor!). Now, add the brown sugar and fresh rosemary, stirring well. The sauce will begin to thicken a little on its own. To speed the process along and to thicken it up to the correct consistency, carefully sift the cornstarch into the sauce...constantly stirring. By sifting the cornstarch, you'll avoid creating any large lumps of cornstarch in your sauce.
Once the sauce begins to come together, place the pork chops back into the skillet and cook on medium heat until the pork chops are cooked thoroughly. Flip them often to ensure that the pork chops are totally glazed with the sauce and cooked evenly. The entire process should take about 25 - 30 minutes.
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