extra virgin olive oil
3 thick cut pork chops
fresh ground black pepper
1 early red onion
1 early sweet onion
3 sprigs rosemary
1/3 cup water

1/3 cup balsamic fig vinegar
3 Tbsp. fig jelly

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil. Sear both sides of the pork chops – about 2 minutes per side. Grind some pepper onto them while they are browning.

Thinly slice the onions into rings. Early onions are rather small – these need to be 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. When both sides of the pork chops are seared, add the onion slices and turn the pork chops so that the onions are under them. Place 1 rosemary sprig on top of each chop and add some water to the pan. Cover and allow it to cook for approx 15 minutes.

When the chops are cooked through, remove them to a plate and place them in a warm oven. Using the balsamic vinegar, de-glaze the pan, using all of the browned bits and onion slices. Onve the pan has been de-glazed, add in the fig jelly and stir to dissolve. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly, and pour over the chops.

Serve immediately, garnishing with a couple of extra sprigs of rosemary if desired.

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Wow, these came out good! We had some chops laying around, and I have had a bottle of balsamic fig vinegar sitting around for a while… then the idea came to me! This is a dark, slightly sweet glaze to pour over the pork, and they really complement each other well.

I served it with a “quick” vegetable biryani, and the combination was pretty good.

One word of caution… don’t let the pork sit too long in the oven, as it will toughen the longer it sits.