Pork chops leave the skillet once they’re browned, but I don’t move on to another pan for the sauce. Fresh fruit goes into the same skillet.
Peaches and blackberries take the pork chops’ place, followed by balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and honey. After six to seven minutes, the fruit softens and the liquid thickens into the sauce that goes over the meat.
Pork Chops Get the Skillet First
Season the pork chops with Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the chops. Brown them for about five to six minutes per side, adjusting the time based on their size.
Once cooked, transfer the pork chops to a plate and cover them with foil to keep them warm.
I Keep the Same Skillet for the Fruit
Don’t clean the pan after removing the pork.
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Add blackberries and peaches straight to the same skillet. The fruit becomes the start of the pan sauce rather than a separate topping prepared in another pot.
Fresh fruit works, but frozen peaches and blackberries can take their place. Frozen fruit may need more time because it releases additional water as it heats.
Balsamic Vinegar Goes in With the Fruit
Add balsamic vinegar to the peaches and blackberries, followed by brown sugar and honey.
The vinegar brings acidity to a sauce built around two sweet fruits and two added sweeteners.
Stir the mixture as it cooks so the fruit and the other ingredients come together in the skillet.
I Give the Sauce 6 to 7 Minutes
Keep the fruit mixture over the heat for about six to seven minutes.
The peaches should soften while the liquid thickens around them. Once it reaches that point, spoon the warm blackberry-peach sauce over the pork chops.
There’s no need to return the pork to the skillet in the original method.
Cornstarch Only Comes Out if the Sauce Stays Thin
I don’t start the fruit sauce with cornstarch.
If it refuses to thicken after cooking, remove some of the liquid and combine it with about one tablespoon of cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves, then whisk the mixture back into the skillet.
That makes cornstarch a backup rather than another ingredient the sauce needs every time.
The pork and fruit may end up together on the plate, but they get separate turns in the pan. I brown the chops first, take them out, then give peaches, blackberries, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and honey the skillet for the finish.
Do you make fruit sauce in the same skillet as pork chops, or use a separate pan?
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