Tested and Perfected by Food and Wine
Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Pickled Peach Relish Recipe
© Christina Holmes

Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Pickled Peach Relish

Contributed by and
  • ACTIVE: 35 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
  • SERVINGS: 4

The combination of juicy, pan-seared pork chops and sweet-savory peach relish is incredibly good. Be sure to use firm, ripe peaches for the relish or else they’ll get mushy during pickling.

Slideshow: More Great Pork Chop Recipes

  1. 2 cups white wine vinegar
  2. 1 1/2 cups water
  3. 1/4 cup sugar
  4. 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
  5. 1 bay leaf
  6. 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  7. Kosher salt
  8. 4 large ripe but firm peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  9. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  10. 20 small sage leaves, plus 1 tablespoon chopped sage
  11. Four 1-inch-thick, bone-in pork rib chops (10 to 12 ounces each)
  1. In a large saucepan, combine the white wine vinegar with the water, sugar, mustard seeds, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns and 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Put the diced peaches in a large, heatproof bowl and pour the hot brine over them. Let the peaches stand for 1 hour, then refrigerate them for about 30 minutes, until chilled.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the oil with the chopped sage, coarsely ground pepper and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Rub the mixture all over the chops and let stand for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the chops to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat nearest the bone registers 145°. Transfer the chops to a plate to rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the sage leaves and cook over moderate heat until crisp, about 1 minute per side.
  5. Put a pork chop on each plate. Using a slotted spoon, top each chop with about 1/2 cup of the pickled peaches. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and serve.
Make Ahead The pickled peaches can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Suggested Pairing

Medium-bodied Pinot Noir from Oregon is substantial enough to go with these pork chops and juicy enough for the peach relish.