pork chops w/ pears & shallots

I seem to be noticing a trend with my recipes as of late: I'm gravitating towards meat with fruit. Perhaps this is normal to you, but it's very different to me. It's not something I was brought up eating, but it's something I'm really starting to enjoy. Today's dish mixed pork with pears. Here's what you'll need:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 pork chops
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 unpeeled small pears (I used 1 Bosc and 1 Anjou), quartered
• 4 teaspoons butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 3/4 cup pear nectar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix oil, garlic, and chopped thyme in small bowl. Rub the mixture over the pork, shallot and pears. Heat a large ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and shallot, turning, about 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer shallot to a platter, and transfer pork to baking dish (do not clean skillet). Bake pork while you wrap up the rest of the recipe, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pears to the same skillet and cook over medium-high heat until they brown on the cut side, turning once or twice, about 4 minutes total. Then transfer the pears to the platter (again, do not clean skillet).

Next, mix the butter and flour in a small bowl. Add the broth, pear nectar and butter mixture to same skillet, and boil until the sauce thickens, scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes.
Remove the pork from the oven and arrange on the platter. Surround it with the pears and shallot. Finish by drizzling the sauce over the pork. It makes for a great combination of flavors that I haven't come across very often. Very hearty. I definitely recommend it next time you're in the mood for something different.

Bon chappétit!