Pork Chops with Rhubarb Chutney

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(Paleo, GAPS, AIP Stage 1 Reintro)

“Springtime is the land awakening.”
~ Lewis Grizzard

I Love Rhubarb.

I grew up with a rhubarb plant in my back yard. Every spring, my mother would send me outside to gather some stalks, and when I was young, the plant seemed almost as big as me. My mother would make jam and pie, and it seemed that summer had officially begun.

As an adult, I feel a childlike excitement when it comes into season. When I first see those gorgeous red stalks, rain is usually pouring down and frost is still a threat, yet I feel optimistic, like rhubarb holds a promise that summer is on its way.

Recipe

I'd never tried a savory recipe with rhubarb until today. I must say, I've been missing out! This recipe is easy enough to prepare on a weeknight, but delicious enough to serve at a dinner party. It was inspired by this one from Bon Appetit. Enjoy.

P.S. If you're looking for a sweet rhubarb recipe, check out my guest post on Empowered Sustenance: Rhubarb Lemon Lovin' Muffins.

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger (increase to 1 Tbsp. if you'd like more heat)
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp. cumin (AIP stage 1 reintro)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. black pepper (AIP stage 1 reintro)
1-1/2 lbs. rhubarb, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup raisins
4 pork chops
sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Set pork chops on the counter and sprinkle both sides with sea salt.
Make the chutney: In medium saucepan, add the first 8 ingredients (honey through black pepper). Turn heat to medium-high and stir to blend. Add the rhubarb, onion and raisins, stir again. Continue cooking until rhubarb starts to soften and sauce thickens. (5-7 minutes). Turn off heat and set aside.
Heat large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to dry pan & sear 2 minutes each side.
Spoon a small amount of the chutney on top of each pork chop (reserving the rest for later). Then put the skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 6-10 more minutes, depending on how thick your pork chops are. (They're done when the meat temperature is 140 degrees).
Be careful taking the skillet out of the oven; remember that the skillet handle is HOT.
Plate the pork chops and spoon the remaining rhubarb chutney on top. Pour any remaining juices from the skillet on top as well. Serve!
Note: This makes a big batch of chutney. You can store leftovers in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a month. Try it as a topping on any of your favorite grilled meats.

AIP Note: Cumin is a seed-based spice and black pepper is a fruit-based spice. Both are eliminated during the first 30 days of the AIP, but are considered Stage 1 Reintroductions – one of the first foods to reintroduce.

A Little Rhubarb Trivia

You can thank Ben Franklin for bifocals, lightning rods and rhubarb. In 1770, he sent a crate of rhubarb from London, to his friend John Bartram in the Colonies. The plant, native to central Asia, had been introduced to Europe by traders. Rhubarb first appeared in American seed catalogs in 1829, and soon became a popular ingredient in pies (and now pork chop recipes.)