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Cherry-Balsamic Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes

A glossy tart cherry and balsamic skillet sauce brings seared pork chops together with creamy potatoes and crisp-tender green beans.

Seared pork chops with glossy cherry-balsamic sauce beside mashed potatoes and green beans.

This supper is built around a short sequence: roast garlic while the potatoes simmer, sear the chops, then turn the browned skillet into a quick cherry sauce. The side dishes finish as the pork rests, keeping the meal near 50 minutes without sacrificing a proper rest.

Use the oven time well

The garlic roasts while the potatoes boil, so its mellow flavor adds little extra work. If time is tight, prepared horseradish can replace the roasted garlic in the potatoes and the roasting step can be skipped.

Sear by temperature

Dry surfaces brown more readily, so pat the chops before seasoning and place them in a shimmering skillet. Their thickness changes the exact cooking time; use 145 F at the center as the reliable endpoint, then rest for at least three minutes.

Pork chops develop a deep brown sear in a large skillet before resting. — Pork chops brown in the skillet before the pan sauce is built.

Balance fruit with acidity

Cherries bring sweetness and body, while balsamic and stock keep the sauce savory and bright. Simmer until it coats a spoon, and taste before serving; the finished sauce should remain tart enough to balance the fruit.

Make the potatoes creamy

Drain the potatoes thoroughly before adding warm milk and butter so the mash stays plush rather than loose. Choose roasted garlic for a round, mellow flavor or horseradish for a brisk, savory contrast, and keep the two options separate.

Tart cherries and balsamic form a glossy sauce over the browned pork chop. — Glossy cherry sauce settles over a browned pork chop beside creamy potatoes.

Keep the beans bright

A brief uncovered sear creates blistered spots before a little water steams the beans through. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate so the vegetables reach the plate crisp-tender instead of soggy.

Cherry-Balsamic Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes

4 servings

50 minutes total

Ingredients

•
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup pitted tart cherries, fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 12 oz green beans, trimmed
• 1/4 cup water

Method

Roast the garlic
Heat the oven to 425 F. Slice the top from the garlic head to expose the cloves, drizzle the cut face with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap it in foil, and roast until the cloves are soft and golden, 30 to 35 minutes; skip this step if using the horseradish alternative.
Look for: The exposed cloves are soft when pressed and lightly golden at the edges.
Boil the potatoes
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cool water by 1 inch, season the water with 1 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer until a knife slides through the largest pieces without resistance, about 15 to 18 minutes.
Look for: The largest potato pieces are tender all the way through.
Season the chops
While the potatoes cook, pat the roughly 1-inch-thick pork chops dry and season both sides with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the black pepper. Let them stand at room temperature while you chop the shallot and trim the green beans.
Look for: The chop surfaces are dry and evenly seasoned.
Sear and cook the pork
Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chops without crowding for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then reduce the heat as needed and turn occasionally until the thickest chop reaches 145 F on an instant-read thermometer.
Look for: The chops are deeply browned outside and register 145 F at the center without touching bone.
Rest the chops
Transfer the pork to a clean plate and rest for at least 3 minutes while you make the sauce. Keep any juices that collect on the plate to stir into the finished sauce.
Look for: The chops rest undisturbed while the skillet remains available for the sauce.
Reduce the cherry sauce
Lower the skillet to medium heat and cook the shallot in the remaining olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until softened, about 2 minutes. Add cherries, stock, balsamic, and honey; simmer 5 to 7 minutes, stirring and lightly crushing some cherries, until glossy and spoon-coating, then stir in the pork plate juices.
Look for: The shallot is translucent and the sauce clings lightly to a spoon while retaining a tart edge.
Mash the potatoes
Drain the potatoes well and return them to the warm saucepan. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into the pan, or add the prepared horseradish instead; mash with warm milk and 2 tbsp butter until creamy, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Look for: The potatoes are creamy with no watery pooling; the garlic or horseradish is evenly distributed.
Cook the green beans
Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tsp olive oil and green beans, and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, tossing to blister in spots. Add 1/4 cup water, cover, and steam until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; uncover and let excess water evaporate.
Look for: The beans are bright green and tender with a little bite, and no water remains in the skillet.
Plate and serve
Divide the mashed potatoes and green beans among four plates. Set a pork chop on each plate and spoon the cherry-balsamic sauce over the chops, leaving some browned edges visible; serve while the sauce is warm.
Look for: Each plate has one chop, a generous spoonful of glossy sauce, potatoes, and green beans.