Pork Chops with Pears & Apricot Brandy Sauce

• Servings: 4
• Prep Time:10
• Cook Time:20

Ingredients

• Handful of dried apricots, halved
• 1/3 cup brandy (or cognac)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I used McCormick Gourmet Roasted Cumin)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used McCormick Gourmet Roasted Ginger)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 thick-cut pork chops
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Soak the apricots in brandy in a small bowl. Combine the cumin, ginger salt and pepper. Lightly score pork chops on one side with sharp knife. Rub evenly on both sides of pork chops.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, cook 3 minutes each side until browned and mostly cooked all the way through. Remove pork chops to plate (we’ll finish cooking the chops in later step).
3. Return skillet to medium-low heat and add the butter and onions. Gently sauté onions for 5 minutes. Make sure they do not burn. Add the dried apricots (try not to add the brandy just yet) and sauté another minute. Turn heat to medium-high and pour in the brandy that the apricots were soaked in. Let simmer for 1 minute.
4. Pour in chicken broth. Return the pork chops back into the pan, snuggling them in the sauce. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until the inside of pork chop is barely blush-pink.