Nuanced performance: Braised Pork Chops with Earl Grey Tea, Cider and Fennel

Pork chops and fennel bulb are oven braised with apple cider, tea leaves and aromatics for a quietly rewarding fall meal. Recipe below.

WE SOMETIMES COOK WITH BIG FLAVORS HERE. Kimchi. Brussels sprouts. Bacon. Flavors that swagger in and own the dish. More often, though, we choose ingredients that have plenty of personality, but are content to blend in—supporting characters in an ensemble cast happy to add to a delightful performance without upstaging anyone else. This is one of those dishes.

The pork chops are, of course, the stars of the show. The fennel bulb, with its crunch and anise flavor, is the co-star. But their flavors are influenced by the whole cast of ingredients. The effect of the cider and the Earl Grey tea is surprisingly subtle. The cider provides a seasonal touch of sweetness to the fennel bulb and onion without tasting even vaguely apple-y. To the pork chop, it adds a subtle hint of cured ham. The Earl Grey brings its signature citrusy note to the party, but only ever so slightly. If you didn’t know these ingredients were in this dish, I doubt you could call them out. But their presence absolutely shapes everything, and their absence would make it completely another thing.

You’ll find many teas in our pantry. Most of them come from Harney & Sons. The New York state-based company has been obsessively sourcing and blending fine teas since 1983. When we visit New York City, their retail shop in SoHo is a regular stop for us. For this dish, we used their Earl Grey Supreme loose tea. It has more bergamot orange essential oils in it than most Earl Greys, enhancing its citrus qualities. You can use any Earl Grey tea you can find, including bagged tea. Just cut them open and measure out the tea.

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Braised Pork Chops with Earl Grey Tea, Cider and Fennel

Pork chops and fennel bulb are oven braised with apple cider, tea leaves and aromatics.

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea, divided
• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, quartered lengthwise and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• 3/4 cup water, plus extra, if needed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Season chops generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Scatter a scant teaspoon of the tea over the chops, pressing it gently with your fingers to help it stick to the chops. Set chops aside, allowing them to come to room temperature while you prep the onion, fennel and garlic.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large oven-safe, lidded skillet over medium-high flame. When the pan is good and hot, sear chops thoroughly on one side, 4 or 5 minutes or so, then turn and cook briefly on the other side, maybe 2 minutes. Work in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Transfer chops to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat under the pan to medium-low and add onion, drizzling in more oil, if needed. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly translucent and tender, maybe 3 minutes. Add fennel to pan, toss to coat with oil and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make a space in the middle of the pan, drizzle in a little more oil, if needed, and add the garlic and remaining tea. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add cider and water to pan, scrape up any browned bits. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Nestle chops into fennel mixture and add any accumulated juices to the pan. Add a little water if needed. You mainly want to make sure there’s enough for the fennel mixture; the chops will mostly rest on top of the vegetables.
• Cover pan and transfer to the oven. Braise until the fennel is tender and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 145ºF when inserted into the thickest chop, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes, the pan still covered. Plate chops and spoon fennel alongside. Spoon a little braising liquid over chops and fennel. Serve.