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.
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Notes
Nutrition
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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*
Best pork chops I’ve ever cooked or eaten.
Do you think it’d be ok to use fresh sage rather than dried?
Yes, absolutely. :) I’d probably use a little less, though, because fresh sage can be kind of strong.
Yum, just made this with regular cut pork chops and it was great! I’ve never cooked pork chops where they came out so soft and juicy. I also made herby sweet potato fries and they were great dipped in the blackberry sauce. Thanks!
So, I was given a lot if blackberry juice and we don’t eat much syrup in jam so I’m looking for ways to use it beyond smoothies. I’m also nit a very adventurous cook typically but I’m thinking if I used juice and cornstarch to thicken I might get a similar result. What says the expert?
I would reduce it with a touch of cornstarch to make a syrup. THEN MAKE A BLACKBERRY PUDDING!! Check out our vanilla pudding recipe and add black berry reduced syrup to taste before adding sugar. XOXO -Monti
This was great! I’m not surprised because literally all the recipes I’ve made from your site have turned out awesome :) I accidentally was heavy handed on the balsamic vinegar addition, maybe close to twice the amount called for in your recipe — yet my clumsiness yielded a tart, juicy, not too sweet glaze. Yay!
OMG!!! I made this last night…I wish there was a way to make and bottle that sauce! Delicious. Definitely one of my new favorite recipes.
I really loved this recipe. I must admit I was a bit suspicious at first – the pan sauce was very, very dark – it reminded me of the Swedish dish blodpudding – and the smell of vinegar quite strong. A super yummy result, however, when all the ingredients had simmered for a bit. Have now ordered your cookbook…
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My husband doesn’t like any kind of vinegar, can I leave that out or substitute it?
For this recipe you really need to use vinegar. It’s one of the main flavors of the sauce and helps to balance the strong sweetness of the jam.
Thanks for the quick response! I have left overs from your Taco Soup recipe if he doesn’t like this with the vinegar :D I’m exited to try these pork chops!
I made this twice now…so incredibly easy and yummy! It pairs well with caramelized butternut squash drizzled with brown butter and roasted hazelnuts. Drool factor: 10!
http://www.thebittenword.com/thebittenword/2014/01/roasted-butternut-squash-with-browned-butter-and-hazelnuts.html
Amazing!!!!! I loved everything about it!!!
Delicious – I made this with raspberry jam instead of blackberry, and I used thyme instead of sage. I felt it was a little sweet at the end (and I used closer to 1/4 cup of jam than 1/2 cup) so probably next time I’d use even less jam. I served it with a simple rice and green pea dish and it was great.
This is fantastic! I’m usually not a huge fan of pork chops, but these came out tender and not dry at all. The sauce is ridiculously yummy. Plus the whole thing looks nice enough that you can cook it for guests! I made this with the smoky fries recipe, and my boyfriend and I devoured everything.
This is my new favorite recipe. I usually keep blackberry jam stocked anyway, so this is amazing. Thank you!
Delicious!!!! We all love it, so tasty. I served it with your Skillet potatoes recipe.
Thank you again, for another hit.
I roasted a pork loin seasoned with salt, pepper and rosemary in my cast iron skillet & made the blackberry sauce. I left out the sage because I didn’t have any. I also used fresh blackberries smashed up with a sprinkle of sugar instead of the preserves. Delicious! Boyfriend and I both loved it.