One of my favorite things about summer, aside from longer days for me to ride my bike, is the plentiful harvest of Bing cherries. I will find any way I can to eat them during their short season here. In fact, I have been known to down a two-pound bag of them after a long hot ride, so it was inevitable that I would eventually concoct my own cherry salsa recipe. Once I got the measurements just right, I made some halibut tacos and attempted to pair my cherry salsa with them, sad to say… not the best marriage. The strong flavor of the cherries just overpowered the fish, so I figured a nice meaty pork chop should do the trick, and it did. I keep it simple with just a little salt and pepper, sear it on both sides then finish it in the oven and let the salsa do all the talking! This delicious, beautiful and refreshing dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

INGREDIENTS:

PORK

• 2 pork chops (lollipop cut)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Gray salt (to taste)
• Fresh cracked pepper (to taste)

SALSA

• 2 cups Bing cherries, pitted and chopped
• 2 Serrano peppers, chopped and seeded
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper the chops and let stand until they are at room temperature.

In a medium sized bowl, add the last five ingredients and mix together, and refrigerate (don’t let the salsa sit for more then a few hours, the cherries will begin to soften).

Heat heavy pan over high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil, add pork chops and sear for about one minute on each side (this will caramelize the sugars and help retain the juices), transfer to oven and cook till the internal temp reads 145F°. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes, covered with loose foil. The meat will continue to cook and the juices will be retained.

Plate the chops and add the salsa.

Written by – Kevin M. Eisele

Photos by  - Sherry Heck