Raspberry Balsamic Pork Chops

So, what's for dinner?  Tonight, I might pull out a couple of pork chops, and hit my pantry and refrigerator door for the ingredients to make a raspberry-balsamic glaze-super-simple, and super-tasty.  I serve this with a nice green veggie and, for my family, brown rice.  My teenage Food Critic is happy with these-and so are my band and taste buds.  I don't remember where I originally got the idea for these chops-I've been playing with this "recipe" for years.  Don't agonize about the measurements-just eyeball.  It's not necessary to be precise.

 

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves (I use all-fruit; I also substitute other fruits-cherries are delicious)
• ¼-½ teaspoon thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Spray nonstick skillet with olive oil. 
2. Heat on medium-high heat, and brown pork chops on both sides. 
3. Reduce heat, and cook until chops remain just barely pink; do not overcook. 
4. Remove chops to a plate. 
5. To the same skillet, add the shallots, and briefly sauté. 
6. Deglaze the skillet with the balsamic vinegar, then stir in the preserves. 
7. When they are melted, season with thyme, salt, and pepper. 
8. Return the chops to the skillet, and turn to glaze them. 
9. Briefly warm them, then serve. 

Serves 4

While they will vary if you are just eyeballing amounts, to give you an idea of the nutritional values:

• A 4 ounce top loin, boneless pork chop is around 132 calories and 26 grams protein.
• One fourth of the glaze would be approximately 40 calories.
• This means that a single, 4 ounce top loin, lean only pork chop with glaze would be approximately 172 calories and 26 grams of protein.