Butter Braised Pork Chops with Blueberry Balsamic Sauce | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Butter Braised Pork Chops with Blueberry Balsamic Sauce** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

After more than five years of marriage and many wonderful dinners out together I can predict with a high level of accuracy what Mike will order from a menu. Any cocktail involving bourbon, oysters on the half-shell, and a gloriously grilled pork chop will catch his attention without fail. So, when I spotted this recipe for Butter Braised Pork Chops with Pickled Blueberry Balsamic Sauce on Not Without Salt last week I knew it would be perfect for a special Friday night dinner.

To be honest, I don’t always have the best luck trying to cook pork. I like it just slightly pink in the middle, but I have a tough time gauging the time and it ends up too raw, or over-cooked and dry. Neither option is ideal, so I was excited to try Ashley’s method of pan-searing and basting with a little bit of butter. It seemed like a simple, sure-fire way to cook a juicy, flavorful, restaurant-style pork chop.

I have another confession: I adore dishes that pair fruit with a savory ingredient, so while the pork chop was geared toward Mike, the blueberry sauce was the element that really convinced me to try this recipe. Just the thought of the bright blueberries, tart with balsamic spooned over salty, meaty pork made my taste buds sing and the results more than lived up to my imagination.

Butter Braised Pork Chops with Blueberry Balsamic Sauce (serves 4)

A brief note on juniper berries. I was able to find them in the jarred spice section of my grocery store (they look like dark green peppercorns), but if they aren’t available I’d substitute a sprig or two of fresh rosemary to get the herbal, piney scent they add to the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon juniper berries
1 whole garlic clove, peeled
3 thyme sprigs, divided
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup (6 ounces) fresh blueberries
4 bone-in pork chops
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
6 tablespoons butter, divided
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Sauce Instructions:
In a small saucepan combine the juniper berries, garlic, two thyme sprigs, balsamic vinegar, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. (Cook a few minutes longer if you want a thicker, reduced sauce.)

Place the fresh blueberries in a bowl then strain the balsamic mixture through a sieve over the fruit. Allow the berries to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

The sauce can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated. Rewarm before serving.

Pork Chop Instructions:
Sprinkle the pork chops generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Set a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 tablespoons butter to the pan. When the oil shimmers and the butter sizzles carefully add the pork chops to the pan. Cook in batches if necessary to prevent crowding the pan.

Cook on one side undisturbed for 3 minutes, then flip the chops and again let the chops sear for 3 minutes.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and thyme sprig and with a large spoon start basting the chops with the butter. Flip the chops repeatedly and continue to baste. The chops are done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop reads 135°F. This should take about 7-8 minutes.

Remove the chops from the pan, cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes. Serve with the pickled blueberry-balsamic sauce.

Slightly adapted and re-written from Butter Braised Pork Chops with Pickled Blueberry Balsamic Sauce by Ashley Rodriguez of Not Without Salt.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes! I used a 8” cast iron skillet, tongs, and a long-handled spoon (key since the pan is hot!); along with a paring knife, small sauce pan, medium bowl, liquid measuring cup, measuring spoons, and a small sieve. A plate for resting and aluminum foil round out the necessary equipment.

The Verdict:
Mike was nervous about the post-sear flipping, but the tender, juicy results more than convinced him. The pork was perfectly cooked with a golden crust and deep flavor that worked beautifully with the herbal, fruity blueberries. I served the chops over wilted garlicky kale, with a handful of fresh blue berries, a few dabs of goat cheese, and a sprinkle of slivered almonds. Heaven. These pork chops are deceptively simple combining a relatively small number of ingredients with results that are far greater than the sum of the parts. I can’t wait to try this cooking method with other fruit sauces. Peaches or cherries maybe?

Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Brunch Bunch”

The Set-up: Ina has enlisted her BFFs Miguel and Michael to create a Pinterest-perfect brunch spread. I will indubitably be jealous.

The Menu: Roasted Hazelnut Granola, Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce, Apricot Butter, Fruit Platter

0:36 – We begin with Ina chopping hazelnuts for Roasted Hazelnut Granola and waxing poetic on the charms of day-time entertaining. Highlights: loves the food, people are full of energy, and (she says this more nicely) then they get the heck out so she can take a nap! That last bit is close reading on my part…

1:10 – Granola time! Pro Tip #1: Starting with roasted nuts (hazelnuts, cashews, almonds) gives the granola a deeper flavor.

3:22 – Split screen time with Miguel and Michael working on their tasks (table setting and flowers, respectively). Ina selected the theme of blue & white but now their on their own. No pressure!

3:30 – Michael selects blue muscari (aka grape hyacinth) since they’re “blue, low, and not too formal, which is perfect for brunch.” So far so good, although a second later he seems to be plotting something involving eggs?

3:45 – Now over to Miguel. He’s using the blue and white tablecloths Ina gave him and large, bowl-sized tea cups in a blue chinoiserie pattern for a “touch of whimsy.” You officially have my attention, Miguel; tell me more about this whimsy….

5:04 – Granola is in the oven looking very much like one of those deliciously sticky Nature Valley bars and now it’s back to Miguel pouring OJ and grapefruit juices into pitchers and delighting us all by saying ‘teacups’ one more time.

9:16 – We’re back with Ina for instructions on making the best Fruit Platter. Pro Tip #2: Smell the pineapple before buying to see if it’s ripe (it should smell like pineapple.)

10:23 – Fruit Platter 101: line the platter with large leaves (fig, hydrangea, lemon) for a touch of green. Make large blocks of color by staggering the slices of melon and pineapple together. Scatter a ‘stream’ of blueberries over the top and then another of strawberries and raspberries, again keeping the colors uniform.

10:52 – I can’t believe she put together a picture perfect platter in about 30 seconds. Apologies to future guests if I practice this on you…

11:07 – Croissant time and Ina (again) blows my mind with her perfect technique for lining a breadbasket with a napkin. Hard to describe, but essentially fold in the middle one direction and then again in the other. Confused? Is there anything she can’t do?

12:28 – Pro Tip #3: Leave the croissant baking to the professionals, but heat them up in the oven for a few minutes and serve them warm with Apricot Butter.

13:01 – Ina talks us through how to make it, but the true takeaway is that anything can be mixed into butter.

13:49 – We check in with Michael who has really committed to his egg idea by turning them into little vases for the grape hyacinth and placing them in porcelain egg cups. Never underestimate a florist.

14:56 – On to the Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce, which Ina explains are basically like a large pancake with ricotta filling. Sounds good to me!

19:24 – The filling (ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, lemon) seems like it would please both people who prefer sweet breakfast and people who prefer savory. Good news for me since Mike and I are a house divided on that subject.

21:18 – Miguel is stealth – he snuck a peek and discovered the Apricot Butter, so he chose apricot colored napkins to finish the table and honestly the contrast of the soft blues and whites with the bright orange and salmon colors is gorgeous. Miguel definitely knows what’s up with table setting.

22:03 – The first layer of the Baked Blintzes is done and Ina has spread the ricotta filling evenly before adding the top layer of ‘pancake’ mix. Pro Tip #4: Pouring the batter into a spoon, rather than directly onto the filling, will keep the layers from mixing. (Think: bartender making a ‘float.’)

26:31 – Blueberry sauce time and it looks amazing – like liquid blueberry pie. Yum.

28:19 – Blintzes are done, flowers are on the table, fruit platter and croissants have been set out. Seriously, this is magazine perfect – not that I had any doubts with Ina, Michael and Miguel on the case.

29:42 – Ina and Michael are more patient than I would be as Miguel snaps away (we get some of his shots interspersed with compliments from Ina on their work) and then everyone dives in!

Final Thoughts:

I’m excited to have a brunch idea that A.) requires one dish and B.) should be a crowd-pleaser for both savory & sweet.

I adore the blue/white/apricot color scheme of this brunch – gorgeous.

The hunt is on for ‘whimsical’ over-sized teacups. I will keep you posted.

Lessons Learned:

I’ve never made blintzes before and the steps of the Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce recipe worked well for me through the ricotta cheese and top layer stages. That’s where I ran into some issues….

First things first, I used a blender to mix the pancake batter, which I think added a lot of air to the mixture. See how fluffy the blintz is - it puffed up like a soufflé! A food processor or just a spoon is probably a better option.

Second, the consistency of the ricotta mixture was a little thinner than ideal - something closer to the thickness you'd use in lasagna would be better - in the future I’d add a little more mascarpone to thicken it up. The combination of these two factors made it really tricky to keep the layers from mixing together, even using the spoon-pouring method Ina demonstrated and I wasn't totally successful.

The final factor is the baking vessel. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a medium oval casserole dish, but I think this made the layers too thick and really increased the baking time. Next time I’d use a larger dish so that the layers are spread over a larger area and bake more evenly.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. I used a blender (recommend: food processor), medium bowl, small sauce pan, and a baking dish in addition to a rubber spatula, microplane grater, wire whisk, small paring knife, along with the usual measuring cups (liquid and dry) and spoons.

The Verdict:

Mike and I were one week into a two week busy-spell of travel, work, and evening plans, so I wanted to slow down over Sunday brunch and have Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce. I like a ‘sweet’ breakfast, especially waffles, while Mike would rather have something like an omelet. So, this seemed like a great compromise that we’d both like.

While the flavors are good and we thought the blueberry sauce was awesome (excellent over warm croissants, btw.) this dish didn’t really check the box for either of us. Not quite eggs, not quite a waffle. However, the next morning I had a piece still chilled from the refrigerator and actually like it a lot better cold. Bizarre, I know. Final decision: I will probably save this recipe for times when we have guests for brunch and will be making more than one dish to choose from.