Hog Heaven Chutney

PORK LOIN CHOPS WITH MUSHROOM CHUTNEY

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sifted all-purpose flour

4 bone-in pork loin chops (each 1 1/4 inches thick) about 2 1/2 pounds total

1 tablespoon canola, peanut or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

6 ounces pitted prunes, quartered (about 1 1/4 cups)

6 ounces button mushrooms, quartered (about 3 cups)

6 ounces shiitake or cremini mushrooms, woody stems trimmed, cut into eighths (about 2 cups)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

½ cup water

½ cup red wine vinegar

Directions

1 Heat the oven to 425 F.

2 In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper and flour together. Sprinkle half of the mixture over one side of each pork chop.

3 In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-safe saute pan, heat the oil over high until the first wisp of smoke rises. Tilt the skillet gently in a circular motion so the oil coats the bottom thinly and evenly.

4 Put the chops, seasoned side down, in the hot skillet (take care not to crowd them in the pan; sear them in batches of two, if necessary) and sprinkle the remaining half of the seasoning mixture on the sides facing up.

5 Sear the pork chops until they are a rich golden brown, turning them when the first side is done, about 3 minutes per side.

6 Turn the chops so the first side faces down again, and transfer the skillet to the oven.

7 Bake for 2 minutes for rare, 4 minutes for medium-rare and 6 minutes for well-done. Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the chops to a large plate or platter, then loosely cover them with foil.

8 Return the skillet to the stove over medium. Add the butter, ginger, onion, prunes, button and shiitake mushrooms, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any caramelized pork bits off the bottom, and saute until the onion softens slightly and the surface of the mushrooms has begun to sweat a bit, about 3 minutes.

9 Add the brown sugar, water and vinegar, then continue to cook over low until the vegetables have achieved an even degree of softness and the liquid in the pan is syrupy, about 6 minutes.

10 Divide the pork chops among 4 warm dinner plates, and spoon the mushroom chutney liberally over and around the chops.