Sweet and Savory Pork and Pears

This seasonal plate brings an unexpected sweet note from the pears that works perfectly with the pork.

Ingredients:

2 boneless pork loin chops, 1/2"- 3/4" thick

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh diced pear

2 tbsps chicken broth

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry ground mustard

Season pork with salt, pepper, fennel seed and dry thyme and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium high and brown the pork 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium low. Add the pears and a little more thyme and sauté about 4 minutes until lightly browned. Then stir in the chicken broth, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and ground mustard. Start simmering on medium heat and return the pork to the pan, cooking 2-4 minutes to an internal temperature of 140°F.  Serves 2.

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Spiced Pears and Sweet Potatoes

This unexpected pairing will surprise you with it's sweet, buttery nuttiness. Cut the pears into larger wedges than the sweet potatoes to help everything cook evenly. If you love pears and you love sweet potatoes, you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

4 large firm pears, like Bosc

2 large sweet potatoes

1 cup butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey, divided

1/2 cup pecans

Cut pears in half and core then into 8 wedges each. No need to peel. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2" wedges. Combine the pears and sweet potatoes with melted butter in a large bowl. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt and toss to coat. Put everything on a large lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Flip and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until pears are tender.
Drizzle with half the honey and broil 1-2 minutes to brown.

Remove to a serving dish, spoon in the melted butter from the pan, drizzle with the remaining honey and top with pecans.

Serves 8

Adapted from buythiscookthat.com

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Freezing Pears

Can't get to all the pears for baking? Freeze them now while they are fresh and plentiful then bake up some juicy pies and crisps in the dead of winter!

Ingredients:

5 pears

2 tbsps lemon juice

5 cups water

 

Wash, core and slice the pears. Peel them if you prefer but it's not necessary. Add the lemon juice to water then submerge the pears and let sit for 10 minutes.

Then remove the pears and drain in a colander. Lay the slices out on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and freeze for 24 hours.

Remove from freezer, bag and label. And back into the freezer.

Then just take out what you need for the recipe you want to make. Bake from frozen. You may need to add an extra 10 minutes to your bake time.

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