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Pork Chops with Pomegranate Molasses

A simple way to elevate a simple pork chop. Colorful and festive, and really simple to make!

Course Main Course
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 2
Author Laura Doerr

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 pork chops thick cut, bone-in
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Fresh rosemary sprigs, see notes optional for garnish
  • Pomegranate seeds optional for garnish

Instructions

For the pomegranate molasses

  1. Whisk together the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until reduced to a syrup. Whisk occasionally. It will be runny up until the end, then it will all of sudden be a thick syrup. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm.

For the pork chops

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of the chops. Season generously with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

  3. Heat an oven safe skillet (such as a cast iron skillet) over med-high to high heat. Sear pork chops for 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until center of pork chops reaches 145 degrees. Cooking time will depend on thickness of chops.

  4. Allow chops to rest for 10 minutes. Baste or drizzle with pomegranate molasses, and garnish with fresh rosemary and pomegranate seeds.

Recipe Notes

You can buy pomegranate juice in any grocery store. I also used pomegranate seeds that were pre-packaged ready to eat, but you can certainly buy a whole pomegranate and get your own seeds, I just prefer to take a little help from the store.

The molasses can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Just re-heat before serving.

If you want to add the flavor of the rosemary, you can add a sprig into your pomegranate juice as it simmers, this will infuse it with rosemary flavor. Then just discard the sprig when it's done. You could also mince it up and sprinkle over the chop while cooking rather than just garnishing.