Seared Pork Chops with Cherry-Shallot Pan Sauce and Lemon Couscous

These seared pork chops bring together savory pan juices, sweet cherry jam, and plump dried cherries for a simple sauce that tastes far more polished than the effort required.

The pork is served over a lively couscous salad with lemon zest, lemon juice, grape tomatoes, scallions, and parsley, so every plate has a balance of rich, bright, sweet, and savory flavors.

Log in to save recipes and build weekly shopping lists.

Ingredients

12 ounce Boneless Pork ChopsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce Dried CherriesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce Cherry JamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup CouscousView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LemonView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce Grape TomatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce ParsleyView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

unit SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

unit PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Vegetable OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the produce. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small pot.
2. Halve, peel, and dice the shallot. Zest the lemon, then halve it. Halve the grape tomatoes. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, separating the whites from the greens. Finely chop the parsley.
3. Place the dried cherries in a small bowl. Pour in just enough boiling water to cover them, making sure to reserve 1 cup boiling water for the couscous. Set the cherries aside to soften.
4. Add the couscous to a medium bowl. Stir in the scallion whites, half the diced shallot, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pour in 1 cup boiling water, cover the bowl, and let stand.
5. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels, then season all over with salt and pepper.
6. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until browned and cooked to your preferred doneness, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
7. Add the remaining diced shallot to the same pan. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute.
8. Stir in the chicken stock concentrate, cherry jam, and half of the soaked cherries along with their steeping water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce has reduced by about half and lightly coats a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Toss in the grape tomatoes, scallion greens, lemon zest, remaining soaked cherries, and the juice from half the lemon. Season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice to taste.
10. Divide the couscous between plates. Top with the pork chops, spoon the cherry pan sauce over the pork, and garnish with chopped parsley.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use the same pan for the sauce after cooking the pork?

Yes. The sauce is made in the same pan after the pork is removed, which helps incorporate the browned bits and pan juices into the cherry-shallot sauce.

How do I know when the cherry sauce is thick enough?

Let it simmer until it reduces by about half and coats the back of a spoon. It should look glossy rather than watery.

What goes into the couscous salad?

The couscous is mixed with scallion whites, shallot, grape tomatoes, scallion greens, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried cherries, salt, and pepper, then finished with parsley on the plate.

Why soak the dried cherries?

Soaking softens the dried cherries and creates a cherry-infused liquid that helps build the pan sauce.

Does this recipe contain wheat?

Yes. Couscous contains wheat, so this recipe is not wheat-free as written.