Recipe: Pork Chops with Persimon® Chutney

Guest Post: Shaida K

A sweet, seedless orange flesh with the consistency of a peach/mango. That’s what you’ll get when you slice into persimmons. Considered an exotic fruit to most Canadians, they are highly coveted and regularly consumed in Asia and Europe. But not all persimmons are the same. In fact, sadly most aren’t ripe at the grocery store and require patience and time (two things I do not have). Fortunately, there is a brand out there for folks like me: Persimon® from Ribera del Xúquer. This particular brand is always ready-to-eat…

Excited to taste and use Persimon®, I checked out their website for some recipe inspiration (lots of ideas here). There’s so many ways to get creative with the fruit – from appetizers to desserts. But as soon as I spotted the pork chops with Persimon® chutney I knew I had to give it a try — talk about a game-changer! I absolutely loved the sweet-savory combo so I thought I’d share the recipe so you guys can try it too…

Pork Chops with Persimon® Chutney

Makes: 4 servings

Calories: 451
Fat: 23g
Protein: 30g
Fiber: 4g
Calcium: 6%
Iron: 10%
Vitamin A: 8%
Vitamin C: 20%

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15 ml) Olive Oil
¼ cup (60ml) Shallots, finely diced
3 tbsp (45ml) Pine nuts
2 cups (500ml) Persimon®
2 tbsp (30ml) Lemon juice
½ cup (125ml) Water
1 tsp (5ml) Ginger, minced
¼ cup (60ml) Sugar
1 tsp (5ml) Ground coriander
½ tsp (2ml) Paprika
½ tsp (1ml) Red Chili Flakes
½ tsp (2ml) Salt

4 Bone-in loan pork chops with salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp (5ml) Olive Oil
1 tbsp (15ml) Fresh, chopped cilantro

Preparation:

• In a small saucepan, add the olive oil and sauté the shallot on medium low heat until soft and translucent. Add the pine nuts and stir till lightly toasted, 4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the chops generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large skillet to medium high and add 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil. Put in the pork chops and sear for 5 minutes. Turn over and brown well on the second side for a total of 10 minutes. Add the Persimon® chutney to the skillet and sprinkle with cilantro. Place a lid on the skillet and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Transfer the pork chops to a serving plate and top with compote.

I like to make simple modifications to accommodate my personal preferences when cooking. In this case, I made two pork chops and loaded them up with extra Persimon® chutney. The meal was a nutritious (lots of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and antioxidants), extremely easy to make and most importantly: delish! Hope you guys are inspired to whip up a recipe of your own using Persimon®. Remember: they’re usually in stores (Metro and Sobeys) from early-November to mid-January (if they last) so get out there and incorporate the amazing fruit into your dishes. And if you do, make sure to enter their contest for your chance to win a $100 gift card (contest rules here).

A special thanks to Persimon® for sending over the fruit for me to try! As always, opinions are my own.