I may shock some of you with this statement: I don't like summer.
It's hot. It's humid. It's buggy. Did I mention it's hot?
My temperature tolerance tops out about 85 degrees. Any hotter and I'm pretty much a miserable, sweaty, complaining blob. Add high humidity and my tolerance drops to about 80 degrees.
Actually, I'm going to amend that statement. I don't like summer weather. I love summer food.
Tomatoes, watermelon, blueberries, peaches, cherries, corn, yellow squash, lima beans, cantaloupe, eggplant, peppers, figs -- these are foods to live for. These are the foods that make summer, especially summer in Arkansas, bearable.
And fortunately for us, American cherries are hitting the market earlier -- thanks to new varieties grown in California.
I bought my first bag of this season's California cherries almost a month ago. They were glorious.
That first bag I ate entirely out of hand. The second bag, I've been using in recipes, such as this one.
The combination of flavors here -- rich pork, sweet cherries, warm allspice and garam malsala -- was unexpected, but delicious. The original recipe called for a few sprigs of fresh thyme, which I didn't have. I didn't miss it, but if you have some on hand, by all means toss it in when you add the butter to the cherries.
Pork Chops With Brandied Cherries
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Generous pinch ground allspice
2 (1-inch thick) boneless pork loin chops, about 8 ounces, untrimmed
1 heaping cup fresh cherries
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy (can substitute grape juice for an alcohol-free dish)
1 tablespoon butter
1 to 2 sprigs fresh thyme, optional
Splash sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
Combine salt, garam masala, pepper and allspice in a small bowl.
Rub spice mixture all over pork chops, covering their entire surface. Let chops rest 15 minutes.
While the pork rests, pit and halve the cherries. Set aside.
In a large skillet (I used a 10-inch cast-iron skillet), heat the olive oil until shimmering. Sear pork 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Add garlic to pan, then sear the fatty edge of the pork, using tongs to hold it up, for about 30 seconds. Transfer the pork to a plate. Carefully add brandy to pan, let it simmer until the alcohol burns off (about 30 seconds), then add the cherries and 11/2 tablespoons water. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Move cherries to the sides of the pan and return pork chop to the center so it makes contact with the pan. Cover pan and cook over low heat for 7 minutes, or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, add butter, thyme and vinegar to the pan, stirring until butter melts and coats the cherries. Serve pork with cherries.
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from Melissa Clark via The New York Times
Food on 06/07/2017