#TripleSBites Pan Seared Pork Chops with Red Wine Thyme Reduction

Welcome to another day with #TripleSBites! 

I decided to share one of my favorite recipes for this because today is my birthday and enjoying this meal would be a phenomenal way to celebrate!  However, I am not cooking today and will be enjoying a drink poolside and a steak for dinner while relaxing with my family in the Dells. 

This pork chop is not like any ordinary pork chop. It is bone-in which makes is meaty and hearty- perfect to impress on a romantic holiday or for a dinner date.  The preparation is so easy- little salt and pepper, a little butter and oil and a nice seared flavorful crust followed by a silky smooth red wine  and thyme reduction.  The sauce is very easy, but takes a little time to get the perfect thickness and flavor. This pork chop is incredible and the salty sear on the pork works perfect with the slightly sweet, slightly tart  red wine reduction. In my opinion, the sear is the most important part and making to to let the pork have time to get a nice crust is the most important part! 

This meal is perfect to serve to your valentine to celebrate the day of love, or at anytime during the year you want to impress. The rustic feel of a bone-in chop with a flavorful sauce is versatile for any occasion! 

Like I said, today is my birthday and I am 31! I am in a really good place in my life and am grateful for all of my wonderful family and friends. Year 30 of my life was a blast and I am excited to see what 31 will bring. If I had to think about my favorite moments they would be traveling to France with my family (and our trip to Normandy), fall and winter holidays with Kellen and Kellen's second birthday. I really like that so many memories and favorites have gravitates from individual to family memories with my husband and child. 

Have a great weekend everyone- final post for #TripleSBites is Monday! 

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup red wine (I used Côtes du Rhône, but any dry red will do)

1 tsp honey

1 tsp sugar

6-8 fresh thyme sprigs

4 Tbl unsalted butter, divided

4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 inch thick- little more is fine)

Salt & Pepper

1 Tbl butter

1 1/2 Tbl olive oil

Instructions

In a sauce pan, add wine, honey, sugar, thyme and 2 Tbl butter. Whisk together and turn heat to medium. The sauce should simmer lightly and can be stirred every 10 minutes. Allow the sauce to reduce until is can coat a spoon. This takes 40-60 minutes. Towards the end it will thicken quickly so make sure to keep watch over the pan to make sure it doesn't burn. 

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the pork chops.  In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbl of butter with the olive oil. Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper (don't be too skimpy of you seasoning). Place pork chops into the heated skillet and cook 4-5 minutes per side. Make sure to check to see that the meat is getting a nice brown sear before flipping. Because the chops are a little thicker it helps to check the internal temp with a thermometer. I like mine cooked to 150-160 degrees- please adjust as you see fit.

When sauce is done remove the thyme springs. Whisk in the remaining 2 Tbl of butter. Plate the pork chops and spoon sauce evenly over the pork chops.

The Giveaway 

Terms & Conditions

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment (below) and tell me What's your favorite romantic dish to cook for your sweetheart? Many more ways to enter in the Rafflecopter widget [below].

This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, age 18 and older. This #TripleSBites 2015 giveaway runs from Monday, February 2, 2015 12:00am PT through Monday, February 9, 2015 at 6:00pm PT. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on February 10, 2015. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond in that time a new winner will be chosen. For more information, see the full terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget.

Disclaimer: All prize packages were provided free of charge. Participating bloggers received complimentary product(s) for their #TripleSBites posts. All opinions stated are my own.

Please click on the arrows in the rafflecopter to scroll through the prize packages!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up