Pork Chops with Flaming Apricot Bourbon Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 (1-inch thick) bone-in loin pork chops
  
• Sea salt for seasoning chops
  
• Coarse ground black pepper for seasoning chops
  
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 tablespoons scallions, minced (white and tender light green parts only)
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  
• 1 Meyer lemon wedge (if using regular lemon, use 2 wedges)
  
• 1 tablespoon
  1 teasoon Apricot preserves, stirred a bit in a small bowl
  
  
  
• 1/4 cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon, poured into a measuring cup (do this while chops are finishing cooking)
  
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  

Directions

1. If using an electric burner, start to heat it up by turning stove to medium. If using a gas burner, you can wait to heat until you are ready to start cooking chops. Keep your sauté pan (not non-stick) cold.
2. Set chops on a large plate. Blot chops dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of each chop, about ½ t per side, just enough to coat (use finger to rub oil in). Season chops on each side with sea salt and pepper.
3. Crush fennel seeds to a powder using a mortar and pestle. Add brown sugar and mash a few times with pestle to combine with fennel. Sprinkle fennel-brown sugar mixture on one side of each chop, evenly dividing, and pressing down lightly with your finger.
4. Place the chops fennel-sugar side down, in a large (at least 12”), deep sauté pan, off the heat. If using electric, move pan onto preheated burner. If using gas, turn burner on to medium and move pan onto burner. After two minutes chops should start to sizzle. Cook until sugared side is browned, about 7 minutes total. Flip chops, which may require a little tug with your tongs, cover pan and turn heat down to low. Continue cooking until internal temperature registers 140-145 degrees F., between 4-6 minutes. Transfer chops to a clean plate and tent lightly with foil.
5. Pour pan juices into a bowl and set aside. Add butter to sauté pan, let it melt, and then add minced scallions and garlic. Cook until fragrant, then squeeze lemon wedge(s) into pan and stir. Add reserved pan juices, apricot preserves and stir again. Add bourbon; let it cook for a few seconds to heat the alcohol (it may not ignite if cold) and then slightly tilting pan away from you, light the bourbon at the edge of the pan with a barbeque lighter or long kitchen match. Once flames have subsided (alcohol has burned off), immediately stir in cream and return chops to pan to coat in sauce. Serve immediately, with additional sauce and enjoy!