This might surprise you, but yes, I do still eat meat, like these caramelized onion, pears and organic pork chops. Not a lot, and not every day, but if I feel like eating some meat, I do. I always make sure I buy high quality meat that comes from a small organic farm where the animals are free to roam, grass-fed, and treated in a humane manner.
I strongly encourage everyone to reduce their meat consumption, but I also strongly encourage you to buy a much higher quality meat, go for quality over quantity. This will have a huge impact on your health (high quality meat has health benefits, cheap commercial meat does not), on the environment (large commercial operations are detrimental to fauna and our water sources to only name a couple), and contribute to treating animals in better conditions, with less cruelty. All around, a really good thing for everyone. Oh yeah, and did I mention the taste is 1,000x better?
This recipe is one I’ve been making for years, on the very few times per year when we eat pork! It’s easy and quick enough to make on a weeknight but impressive enough to serve to your guests on the weekend. Make sure that the meat is not the biggest portion on your plate, the vegetables should be (although ironically, the vegetables are missing from my picture. haha)!
Bon appétit!
ECP xo
Easy Weeknight Pork Chops, Caramelized Onions and Pears (4 servings)
A great way to introduce picky eaters to healthier meals!
- 4 small organic pork chops (or 2 large, cut in half)
- 1 or 2 large organic Spanish onion, peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced
- 3 organic pears, peeled, cored and sliced (any variety)
- good quality olive oil for cooking
- 1/2 cup organic white wine
- 2 Tbsp grain mustard (sometimes called Old Fashioned) (optional)
(cook your rice and prepare your side vegetables while working on this)
Heat about 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a very large pan on medium heat (or just a tad under medium, depending on how hot your stove gets). Add the pork chops and cook, 4-5 minutes per side until nicely roasted.
Add the sliced onion, mixing often, for about 7-8 minutes or until soft and starting to caramelize.
Add the sliced pears, mix and cook for a few minutes, then cover, reduce the temperature to medium-low heat and let simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Bring temperature back up to medium, add the wine and the mustard (if using), cover and let simmer for 4-5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over a mix of wild and brown rice, with vegetables on the side and a salad, like this simple green salad. Enjoy!
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