+ This Roasted Grape Pork Chops with Twice Baked Potatoes post brought to you by the folks at Pompeian +
Several years ago, when my sweetheart and I were first married, I decided to try and learn how to cook a really great meal for him. I did a bunch of research and found a menu from one of my favorite Food Network Chefs, Tyler Florence. It was a bit ambitious for my early culinary skills, but I decided that I wanted to give it a go. It was a fun Fontina and Prosciutto Pork Chops with Grilled Polenta Squares and Roasted Grapes.
I followed the recipe to a “T” and I learned two things…
1. Those 30 minute cooking shows don’t equal 30 minutes in the kitchen for the real home cook. UGH!
2. With an amazing recipe, following each step precisely you can look like a total ROCK STAR in the kitchen!
It was one of my kitchen “ah ha” moments. I could cook, I just needed some direction. The meal was aaaamazing! We felt like we were eating at a restaurant. From that point forward, my approach to cooking was totally transformed. I took the time to learn, not just execute. I tasted things along the way, really TASTING what I was doing. I explored as much as possible so that I developed a palette that was educated and refined. I fell in love with the art of cooking!
My husband just celebrated a birthday and when I asked what he wanted for his birthday dinner, he basically said surprise me! I decided to recreate elements of that special meal from so many years ago. Of course… This time I put my own spin on the menu!
We had Pork Chops with Roasted Grapes along with Twice Baked Potatoes, my husband’s favorite!!
I made both of these dishes with some of my new favorite cooking oils… Pompeian Avocado and Grape Seed Oil Sprays.
Pompeian Avocado & Grapeseed Oil Spray is an innovative, unique and eco-friendly cooking spray that utilizes a powerful pouch system without the use of propellants or other artificial additives, so not a single drop is wasted and the oil is never mixed with any chemicals.
The unique spray can and pouch system also help to protect the oil from sunlight and oxygen, keeping the product fresher for longer. Pompeian Grapeseed & Avocado Oil Spray has triple action use—drop, stream, or spray—to allow for flexibility and total portion control when cooking. And it’s FANTASTIC for high heat cooking! I’ve used it two different ways. To brown my chops before I put them in the oven and I used it to crisp my potato skins for my twice baked potatoes. Here’s how you make them…
Pork Chops with Roasted Grapes + Recipe
- 4-6 thick cut pork chops
- 1 cup salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons whole all-spice
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
- 4 cups of water
- 1-2 cups of ice
- Pompeian Avocado Spray
- 1 large bunch of red grapes
- You need to start your pork chops the day before you plan to serve them. The secret to these amazing chops is the brining process. You'll need a large bowl, add all of your spices.Then your salt and brown sugar.
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and the pour over your salt, sugar and spice mixture. Stir to help the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Once the salt and sugar have dissolved into the water, add a cup or two of ice to bring down the temperature of the brine. Then slide your pork chops into the brine mixture. Add more water if needed to make sure all of the meat is totally covered.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight. Once you are ready to cook, remove the pork chops from the brine and dry with paper towels.
- Prepare your oven safe pan (I like to use cast iron) with a generous spray of Pompeian's new Avocado Oil Spray. Also, Preheat your oven to 400˚.
- I take the dry pork chops and season with salt & pepper and add them to a hot pan over high heat and then turn down the temp to medium high. Brown one side of the pork chops and then turn after 2 minutes or so.
- Add your washed grapes to the pan.
- Spray with the Pompeian Grapeseed Oil and place in the 400˚ oven for 10 minutes or until your pork chops are fully cooked and sitting at 145˚.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
You need to start your pork chops the day before you plan to serve them. The secret to these amazing chops is the brining process. You’ll need a large bowl, add all of your spices.
Then your salt and brown sugar.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and the pour over your salt, sugar and spice mixture. Stir to help the salt and sugar dissolve.
Once the salt and sugar have dissolved into the water, add a cup or two of ice to bring down the temperature of the brine.
Then slide your pork chops into the brine mixture. Add more water if needed to make sure all of the meat is totally covered.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Once you are ready to cook, remove the pork chops from the brine and dry with paper towels.
Prepare your oven safe pan (I like to use cast iron) with a generous spray of Pompeian’s new Avocado Oil Spray. Also, Preheat your oven to 400˚.
Then I take the dry pork chops and season with salt & pepper and add them to a hot pan over high heat and then turn down the temp to medium high.
Brown one side of the pork chops and then turn after 2 minutes or so.
Add your washed grapes to the pan.
Spray with the Pompeian Grapeseed Oil and place in the 400˚ oven for 10 minutes or until your pork chops are fully cooked and sitting at 145˚. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
Twice Baked Potatoes + Recipe
- 3 large baking potatoes
- Pompeian Avocado Oil Spray
- 1 cup chive flavored cream cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup bacon bits
- fresh chives
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Wash and poke your potatoes with a knife and bake at 350˚ for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit. Cut potatoes in half, remove the flesh of the potato into a large bowl.
- Spray your potato skins with Pompeian Avocado Spray.
- Place in a 400˚ oven for 10 minutes to crisp the potato skins.
- In the mean time add your other ingredients the cream cheese, sour cream, bacon, cheese salt & pepper and fresh chives to the potatoes.
- Using a potato masher, mix well, but don't over mix.
- I prefer my twice baked potatoes to still have the look and feel of potato rather than a smooth mashed potato consistency.
- Spoon your potato mixture back into the crisp potato skins and place in a 350˚ oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with more shredded cheddar cheese and place back in the oven just until the cheese is melted. Remove and garnish with fresh chives.
- Serve along side the pork chops and roasted grapes. You'll be surprised... if you like apples with pork chops, you're going to LOVE roasted grapes with your favorite meat! Give it a go and let me know what you think!
Wash and poke your potatoes with a knife and bake at 350˚ for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit. Cut potatoes in half…
Remove the flesh of the potato into a large bowl.
Spray your potato skins with Pompeian Avocado Spray.
Place in a 400˚ oven for 10 minutes to crisp the potato skins. In the mean time add your other ingredients the cream cheese, sour cream, bacon, cheese salt & pepper and fresh chives to the potatoes.
Using a potato masher, mix well, but don’t over mix.
I prefer my twice baked potatoes to still have the look and feel of potato rather than a smooth mashed potato consistency.
Spoon your potato mixture back into the crisp potato skins and place in a 350˚ oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with more shredded cheddar cheese and place back in the oven just until the cheese is melted. Remove and garnish with fresh chives.
Serve along side the pork chops and roasted grapes. You’ll be surprised… if you like apples with pork chops, you’re going to LOVE roasted grapes with your favorite meat! Give it a go and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer + This post is brought to you by Pompeian. I have received product and compensation for my time and recipe development. Please know, that I will only post about products that I truly love and use in my everyday life!
2
If I don’t have whole all spice, what do you suggest for amt. of ground?
Jillian- I would do a 1/2 teaspoon of ground all spice. Let me know how it goes!
xoxo Heather
I followed this recipe to the T (I had used 6 thick cut pork chops) and found that it was way too salty for my taste. Too salty to the point that I had to throw out my chops … I willl halve or quarter the amount of salt next time used for the brining liquid next time around.