This will definitely be the star of your meal so, as I did, keep the sides simple and, unlike me, don't forget to take a photo because you are too interested in digging in. The pork will be juicy from the brine, the figs will be unctuous and the cream rich and fragrant with Bourbon - you won't need any competition to those flavors on the plate. I thought carrot puree and crisp green beans would be the right "accessories".
I usually serve carrot puree pumped up with butter and cream but, to better complement the pork and cut through some of the richness of the dish, this time I steamed the carrots and made a chunky puree into which I stirred some grated horseradish and a little lemon juice. This offset the sweetness of the pork well, and is a side dish that I would recommend. Plain mashed potatoes would probably work just as well because they would sop up the sauce nicely but I liked the bright orange contrast of the puree with the various browns of loin chop, figs and sauce.
4 pork chops, either bone in or bone-free loin
2 cups water, 1/2 cup boiling, the remainder cold
2 Tbsps salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground bay leaf
1/4 tsp dry mustard
8 figs, cut in half
1/2 cup cream
2 Tbsps butter
1 Tbsp Bourbon (you can substitute, Whiskey, Sherry, Madeira, whatever you have to glug in. I just happen to like Bourbon with pork)
1 Tbsp additional liquid, water is fine, I used apple sauce
Large pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp prepared Dijon mustard
2 tsps olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Since you are brining the pork, you will need to do this first step in advance. I usually mix up the brine as I make my coffee in the morning since I am boiling water any way and then remove the pork from the brine as soon as I get home from work.
Put the salt, brown sugar, ground bay and dry mustard in a bowl. Pour over the half cup of boiling water and mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once they have done so, add the remaining cup and a half of water. Submerge the chops and refrigerate.
Anywhere from 6 to 10 hours later, remove them from the brine and dry them with a paper towel. Keep in mind that the longer they are in the brine, the saltier they will taste. Return to the fridge.
Remove the chops from the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan on cooking them so that they are not cold when they hit the pan. You will need 2 skillets when it is time to prepare the dish.
In the first skillet, which should be oven safe, add the olive oil and the 2 cloves of crushed garlic when you remove the meat from the fridge. Set aside until you need it as this will give the garlic time to infuse the oil with flavor.
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat the skillet with the olive oil until the edges of the garlic are bubbling. Add the chops and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Put the pan in the oven for the meat to finish cooking while you prepare the sauce. My chops took an additional 8 minutes to cook through; it all depends on the type of chop and how thick they are so please use my 8 minutes as a reference point only.
As the chops finish cooking, melt the butter over medium heat in the second skillet. When it is completely melted and bubbling away, add the figs, cut side down. Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Cook for one minute and then add the Bourbon. Swirl the pan so that the Bourbon is distributed to all the figs. Cook for another minute and then lower the heat.
Add the cream, the Dijon mustard and the additional tablespoon of liquid. Stir the mustard into the sauce. Lower the heat and allow the sauce to thicken and the figs to cook through while the meat finishes up. Swirl the pan from time to time so that the cream doesn't catch and burn.
Remove the skillet with the pork from the oven. Push the figs to one side of the pan containing the sauce. Add the chops and any remaining juices to the pan with the sauce and spoon the sauce over the pork to coat it.
Serve at once, with each pork chop topped with fig halves and some additional sauce. I didn't salt the sauce because the chops were salty from the brine and I thought it would be too much but you may wish to.
