Pork chops, meet blackberry sage pan sauce. Pan sauce, meet pork chops. I just know you two will get along beautifully and live a long, happy life as blackberry sage pork chops (until I eat you, anyway).
Pan sauces are the easiest way to turn a boring cut of meat (pork chop, chicken breast, etc.) into a restaurant quality, fancy-pants meal. They’re fast, easy, and help clean off that brown stuff that’s stuck to the bottom of your skillet (that “stuff” is actually called “fond” and it’s quite flavorful). So, if you haven’t tried making a pan sauce yet, I suggest it be moved right to the top of your “to do” list.
For this particular pan sauce I combined blackberry jam, rich and tangy balsamic vinegar, a little butter for richness, and dried sage. The juices and browned bits from the pork give the sauce a savory base and that umami flavor that makes you want to keep coming back for more. Seriously, though, I was practically drinking this sauce… One spoonful at a time, of course. That pork chop was just there to help me sop up more of the amazing sauce.
So, wanna see how Blackberry Sage Pork Chops are born?
Blackberry Sage Pork Chops
Servings 4Ingredients
- 4 thin center cut pork chops (about 1 lb. total) ($4.15)
- pinch of salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/2 cup blackberry jam or preserves ($1.38)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.40)
- 1 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1/2 tsp dried sage ($0.05)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Take the chops out of the refrigerator and let them warm on the countertop for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the package, pat dry with a paper towel, then season both sides of each chop with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (it should appear wavy on the surface, but not be smoking), add the chops. Let the pork chops cook until browned on each side (3-5 minutes per side), then transfer them to a clean plate. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Let the skillet cool for just a couple of minutes, then add the blackberry jam, butter, balsamic vinegar, water, and sage. Return the skillet to the burner and turn the heat on to low. Whisk the ingredients together until the jam and the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet have dissolved into the sauce. Turn the heat up to medium and let the sauce come to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer over medium heat until it’s thick enough to coat a spoon (5 minutes or so). Turn the heat off, taste the sauce, and add salt as needed (I added 1/8 tsp).
- Return the chops and any juices that have accumulated on the plate to the sauce. Coat each side of the chops in the sauce and let them warm through in the simmering sauce. Spoon the sauce over each chop after plating.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Blackberry Sage Pork Chops – Step by Step Photos
Start with four thin, center cut pork chops, about one pound total. Let the chops warm for about ten minutes on the counter. Cold chops don’t sear quite as well as room temperature chops. Pat the chops dry with a paper towel (this also aids searing) and season each side with a pinch of salt and pepper. I’m not sure why that one chops is so different, unless it’s not actually a chop… I think I’ve been had.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. You want the oil hot so that it looks a little wavy on the surface, but not smoking. Once the oil is hot, add the pork chops and let them brown on each side. The oil should be hot enough that this happens fairly quickly (3-5 minutes). If the heat is too low, they’ll let off a lot of moisture and become kind of tough…
I’ll admit, my heat was a little too low (see how blonde that one in the back is?), but it’s all good because the sauce is so phenomenal that I didn’t care. Let the chops brown on each side then remove them to a clean plate.
What you’re left with is a skillet full of this brown gunk that looks like a nightmare to clean up, right? Wrong. This gunk is called “fond” and it has all sorts of magical flavor. It will get dissolved into the sauce, leaving not a trace behind to be scrubbed off later. Take the skillet off the heat for just a couple of minutes to cool down a bit. We don’t want to burn the butter.
Once the pan has cooled off just a touch, add 1/2 cup blackberry jam (jam or preserves, not jelly please), 1 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp water, and 1/2 tsp dried sage. Place the skillet over low heat and whisk until all the ingredients are dissolved and all the browned bits stuck to the bottom have dissolved in as well. Turn the heat up to medium and let it simmer until it thickens. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed (I added 1/8 tsp).
Add the chops back to the sauce, coating each side. Add any juices or drippings that accumulated on the plate as well. Let the chops warm briefly in the simmering sauce, then serve. Thin cut pork chops cook very quickly, so the browning step likely cooked them all the way through. If you’re using thicker cut chops, you can let them simmer in the sauce for a little while until they are done all the way through.
I added a little parsley to the Blackberry Sage Pork Chops for color in the photos, but it’s not needed for the recipe. If you happen to have fresh sage or basil, though, that would of course be phenomenal.
Make sure to spoon that delicious blackberry sage sauce over top of the pork chops after serving. *drool*
We just made these and they were AWESOME!! We reached that unfortunate choice of having leftovers or eating it all… There was nothing left.
These were awesome! I used thyme instead of sage, based on what I had on hand. I’m going to try making it in a saucepan to serve with pork tenderloin – think I’ll use a little broth instead of water to replace the porkiness from the fond. Thank you, Beth, for consistently awesome recipes!
looks delicious. you think blueberry preserves will work here? :D that’s what I currently have on hand. thank you, Beth!
Oooh, yes, I think blueberry would be quite good.
These were amazing and super easy! I made them last night along with your smoky roasted sweet potatoes (also wonderful!). My boyfriend really liked them and I will definitely be making them again :-) I love your blog! Thanks!
Soooooooo good!
I made these for dinner tonight, they turned out great! The sauce was sweet and savory with nice acidity. I made simple roasted asparagus to eat with them. I can’t wait to have these again.
Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Made this last night and it was awesome! My friend could only describe as a comment I can’t really say :) but it was good nonetheless. The thin is I have a fair amount of the sauce left. Is there anything else I could do with the leftover?
I’d probably just dip some bread in it or spoon it over rice. :)
Well, this was darn good. I added a bit too much sage, so it was a little strong in that reguard, but overall really very tasty.
Will probably not replace the old porkchop standby with the family, but the variety will be appreciated.
My mouth is watering right now, because I’m a HUGE fan of pork chops. This recipe reminds me of rasberry chicken with shallots-which is absolutely delicious. Since I’m planning on making these pork chops pretty soon, what side dish would you recommend, Beth? Thanks!! :-)
Well, you can’t beat pork chops and potatoes for a good down home meal, and you definitely want some green, so I’d try the Skillet Potatoes and Green Beans. :)
That is exactly the meal I made tonight – these porkchops with that potato/green bean recipe. Very yummy; the sauce for these chops is delicious!!!
This looks so good – thank you! Will you teach us how to make those french fries too? :)
Yep, the post is coming up soon! ;D
Hi Beth! Do you think its possible to use the raspberry jam used in the oat bars instead of the blackberry jam?
Yes, I think raspberry would also be very good in this. :)
Hi Beth! Do you think the jam used for the oat bars (raspberry jam) could be used instead of the blackberry jam? Trying to use up ingredients :) Appreciate your efforts on the site!
We just finished eating these (with smashed red potatoes and fresh green beans) and my whole family said this must be made again. My chops were thinner than yours (1.25 pounds gave 5 large-size chops) so they browned very quickly. The balsamic vinegar and blackberry jam balanced each other out. I wish I had something to sop up the leftover glaze in the pan!
I have some frozen blackberries from my CSA. I might try smashing those and using them instead. That way I don’t end up adding yet another jar to the condiment graveyard my fridge.
Make sure to add a decent amount of sugar. It’s the sugar in the jam that balances the balsamic vinegar.
Hi! The recipe looks amazing! Do you think the sauce would work with chicken or beef as well? Thanks!
I think it would also be really good with chicken. Beef I’m not sure… I think I’d have to try it. :)