Pork Chops with Orange Pecan Pesto

posted on January 15, 2018 by Beth // 2 Comments »

 

Last year Butchery Fresh sent me a care package of some of their incredible meats, which included some gorgeous pork chops. I wanted to do something special with them but still keep it simple, as I knew the meat itself was going to be perfection. Since I was also doing Whole30 at the time, it needed to be compliant. A quick google search turned up this recipe (I made just a minor tweak), which has now turned into one of our absolute favorites!

 

Pork Chops with Orange Pecan Pesto

Yield: Serves 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

Orange Pecan Pesto

  • 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted pecans
  • 1/2 cup tightly packed parsley
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • zest from 1 orange
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil

Pork Chops

  • 2 10-oz bone in pork chops
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

 

Directions:

Orange Pecan Pesto

In a food processor, combine the pecans, parsley, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pulse 5 more times until just combined. Add the additional tablespoon of olive oil. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Scrape the pesto into a small bowl and set aside.

Pork Chops

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees with the oven rack in the middle. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Pat the pork chops dry, season with salt, pepper and paprika. Rub the seasoning into the pork to evenly distribute it.

Add the vegetable oil to the cast iron skillet, then add the pork chops. The pork chops should sizzle as soon as you add them. Cook for about 3-5 minutes on the first side. Flip when golden, and cook for 3-5 minutes on the second side. You should have a crusty sear on both sides.

Transfer the cast iron skillet to the oven for 10-15 minutes. They should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Remove the pork chops from the oven, and transfer to a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm, topped with a generous amount of orange pecan pesto.

Adapted from Tastes Lovely