Beer-Braised Pork Chops

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$10 * Calories: 348

Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil
4 center-cut bone-in pork loin chops (8 oz. each)
salt and pepper
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges (about 3/4-inch thick)
1 bottle (12 oz.) lager beer
3/4 tsp. dried sage or 3/4 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions:
1. In large skillet on medium-high, heat oil. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sear until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer pork to plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.
2. Add pears to skillet, and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer pears to plate with fork. Add beer and sage to pan.
3. With wooden spoon, scrape up caramelized bits from bottom. Return pork and pears to pan; bring to simmer. Partically cover skillet with lid, reduce heat to low, and braise until chops are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Remove pork and pears from pan. Skim away any fat from liquid, increase heat to medium, and cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Serve chops with pears and sauce.

Thoughts:
This was really good. It wasn't hard to make, just a lot of moving ingredients back and forth. It had a lot of good flavor.