Pork Chops With Cherry Mustard Sauce

Pork pairs well with the sweet tartness of fruit, especially cherries. Here, fresh cherries add fullness of flavor and texture to a savory white wine sauce slightly thickened with a bit of tangy Dijon mustard. If you can't find fresh cherries, dried will do, making this recipe a favorite for any season.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8  pork chops, bone-in, about 6 to 8 ounces each (about 1" thick)
•  sea salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1  teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1⁄2 lb fresh cherries, halved, pitted (or 1/2 cup dried cherries, soaked in hot water 10 minutes)
• 2  teaspoons unsalted butter (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Lightly season pork chops with salt and pepper, then, two to four at a time, depending on the size of your skillet, brown well on each side, removing to warm oven.
3. Deglaze the skillet with the wine, scraping up brown bits, reduce heat to medium and stir in the mustard, then add the cherries.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. When the sauce begins to bubble, add all the pork chops back into the skillet, spooning sauce over them to coat, cover and reduce heat to medium low.
6. Cook over medium low about 5 minutes, then rearrange chops so those on the bottom are now on the top, and spoon sauce over.
7. Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or more, until chops are cooked through, but still very slightly pink inside (test by prying into the thickest part of one chop with a knife point).
8. Remove chops to serving platter or individual plates.
9. Melt butter (optional) into remaining sauce in skillet, heat and spoon over chops.