Pork with Fresh Pear

A straightforward twist on pork and pears and casseroling

You will need (for 4 people) :

1 good sized free range pork chop per person (or leg steak)

1 Leek, washed, sliced

1 pear per person, peeled, cored and halved

2 chopped cloves of garlic

Deglazing mixture:

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar

¼cup, or so, of water

Oil for frying

Method:

Heat some oil in a frying pan until well sizzling then generously brown and crisp 4 chops on both sides. Remove to ovenproof dish.

Add to the pan, the sliced leek rings, the chopped garlic and the pear halves. Stir well and give them a good over grind of black pepper. Sizzle them all together until they start to brown and caramelise.

Remove pears and mixture from pan and place in an ovenproof casserole dish with the browned pork chops.

Return the pan to the heat, mix together the deglazing mixture and pour into pan when hot, bring to a fast sizzle and then pour over the casserole – pop all into a 180°c oven and bake for a further 20/30 minutes (depending on thickness of chop) until sure the chops are cooked through.

Or….. this can be covered and slow cooked in a low oven until ready to serve.