cherry on the top

This holiday season I decided to turn up the heat and give my husband something really hot… a new gas grill. It was a real upgrade from our thirty-five-year-old dinosaur that came with our house. I had so much fun reaching out to my favorite grill masters from across the country for their advice and input (thank you all!)

I settled on the Weber Genesis 335. What sold me was a feature called the “sear zone”. The right side of the grill has an extra burner creating a super-hot sear station, perfect for finishing off sous vide cuts.

My hubby has been going on for years that he would like me to make him a really good pork chop. Until now I’ve successfully dodged that request. But with this hot present on its way in Santa’s sleigh I decide to give it a try. First and foremost, I wanted to avoid a dry flavorless chop. After some research over several cups of coffee I realized the path to success would be to brine the chop, then sous vide it, then hot sear it. Coupe de la grace… Cherries on top!

A bonus- turns out pork chops are the most reasonably priced cut in the butcher’s case. Pick up a couple beautiful thick bone-in chops.

For these sous vide pork chops, start with the brine combine the two cups of water, a quarter cup of salt and a quarter cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Let cool to room temperature before proceeding.

Place the pork chops in a nonreactive dish. Pour the brine over the chops to cover completely. Cover and refrigerate for one to eight hours.

Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towel. Season well with kosher salt and pepper. Place in a sous vide bag. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to each side of the bag. Place a sprig of thyme on top of each chop. Vacuum seal the bag.

Fill a large pot with water. place your immersion circulator inside. Set the temperature to 140°F and let the water come up to temperature. Submerge the bag, weighting it down with a large spoon. Sous vide the pork chops for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Meanwhile make the bing cherry sauce. Super easy to do if you use frozen dark sweet cherries.

In a small saucepan, sauté one tablespoon finely chopped shallot in one teaspoon olive oil until tender. 

Whisk in a quarter cup dry red wine, one teaspoon balsamic vinegar, two tablespoons honey, a pinch of dried thyme or one teaspoon chopped fresh leaves, one eight teaspoon dry mustard, honey and a pinch of salt. Stir in the cherries. 

Bring to simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes, smashing the cherries with a spoon about halfway through, until the liquid is reduced by half. Set aside

Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the pork chops from the bag, discarding the liquid. Place the chops directly on the grill grates and grill for two to four minutes er side until the outside is seared and develops a golden crust. Remove and let rest for five minutes. Serve with warm bing cherry sauce.

Just like Santa’s cookies… this will be one for the clean plate club.

Many happy returns!