Pork with fruit is incredible and a perfect autumn dish. Lavender and thyme impart a light harmony to enhance the harmony of the pears, figs and citrus. Sever with autumn or winter vegetables. The ingredient list is long and it make look laborious, but this dish is fairly easy to put together and well worth the trouble.
INGREDIENTS
Mustard Spice Rub (recipe follows)
12 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
Lavender lemon marinade (recipe follows)
4 firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into thick wedges
½ cup soft dried figs
½ cup sugar
1/3 pear nectar or apple juice
1 tsp dried thyme
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
PREPARATION
- Prepare the spice rub and rub into the chops on both sides. Place in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Prepare the marinade. Measure out 1 cup of marinade and refrigerate until needed. Pour remainder over the pork and turn to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight turning the pork occassionally.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Transfer pork to a roasting pan large enough to hold the chops in a single layer; discard marinade. Surround the pork with the pears and figs. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a chop registers 150-degreesF.
- Transfer pork and fruit to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Pour the pan juices into a small bowl and skim off any fat.
- Place sugar in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until sugar melts and becomes mahogany in color. Do not stir; just gently swirl the melted sugar in the pan to evenly color the syrup. (Caution: sugar syrup is very hot and can burn, so be careful)
- Whisk in the pan juices, pear nectar, thyme and the reserved 1 cup marindae. Whisk over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until reduced to a thick sauce.
- Pour sauce over the pork and sprinkle with almonds.
MUSTARD SPICE RUB
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 ½ tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp anise seeds
5-6 juniper berries
Toast cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and add remaining spices. Pulse until freshly ground.
LAVENDER LEMON MARINADE
½ cupport wine
¼ cup lavender vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp grated orange zest
¼ fresh orange juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup finely choped shallot
6 slices Preserved Lavender Lemons (recipe below), finely chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp dried culinary "Provence" lavender buds, finely ground in a spice grinder
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients
PRESERVED LAVENDER lEMONS
8 large lemons
2/3 cup coarse sea salt
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp dried culinary 'Provence' lavender buds
Extra-virgin olive oil
- Bring large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Prick the skins of the lemons 5-6 times with a fork. Add to sacuepan and boil for 5 minutes.
- drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the lemons lengthwise into quarters.
- In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, garlic and lavendar. Start layering the lemon wedges in a wide mouthed 2-3 quart glass jar. Sprinkle each layer lightly with the salt mixture. press down lightly on the lemons and pour in enough olive oil to ocver them by ½ inch. Cover securely and refrigerate at least 3 days or up to 1 month before using.
- Store in refrigerator
