Pork Chops with Asian Pear and Caramelized Onion

The flavor combination of Asian pears, caramelized onions and pork chops is magical.  Asian pears have an apple-meets-pear flavor with an apple-like crispness; they stay firm and hold their shape through cooking, which is why they work so well in this dish. Plus the combination of pork chops with Asian pear puts applesauce to shame!  If they’re out of season and you can’t find them, you could easily replace them with Granny Smith apples.

I love that this is a one-pot dish. The addition of lemon juice at the very end helps to deglaze the pan, which brightens the flavors and also makes clean-up easier!  Serve these pork chops with Asian pear with braised greens, Garlic and Lemon Roasted Cauliflower, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

To make this recipe AIP-compliant, substitute dried or fresh tarragon for the fennel seed.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons lard or other cooking fat, divided
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds thin-cut (3/4″-thick) pork chops
• 2 Asian pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2″ wedges
• 1/2 large white onion, sliced into half moons
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, about 7-8 minutes.
2. Season pork chops with ground fennel seed and salt.
3. Push onions to side of pan and add pork chops. Cook 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked to your liking.
4. Remove pork chops from pan to rest. Add remaining tablespoon of lard and Asian pear slices to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until Asian pear slices are heated through and starting to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice and chopped parsley; stir to combine. Pour over pork chops and serve.