This one came out of left field a little bit. I was in the store the other day and saw a quart of goat milk, and I had to have it! Wasn’t sure what we were planning on doing with it, but that was a problem for another day. Fast forward a couple days, and we still hadn’t gotten any ideas. So, we figured, “Let’s just go nuts.” With that mantra, now unconfined by conventional thinking, the idea came to us! We like sweet and savory, so why not make a savory caramel? The earthy notes of the goat milk would add a lot of depth and uniqueness…and then we opted to add some sage and black pepper to really go all in on the funk. Since pork tends to be a bit of a chameleon and can play nicely with spice, sweet, fruit, etc., we opted to use that and drizzle our savory caramel over it.
We served our pork over red quinoa with a spinach side salad. However, this would also pair nicely with the earthiness of Sage Mashed Cauliflower or the salty flavours of Sauteed Bacon and Brussels Sprouts.
We had some leftover caramel sauce, so we reheated it in the microwave and served it over vanilla ice cream for dessert…and it worked surprisingly well!
Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Boneless Pork Loin Chops
- Salt
- For your Caramel Sauce:
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Goat Milk (regular whole milk will also work)
- 1/2 Tablespoon of Unsalted Butter
- A few leaves of fresh sage
- Black Pepper
- A small pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pour your sugar into a saucepan. Slice your sage into small ribbons, and add it to your saucepan as well, and grate in some fresh black pepper.
- Give your pork loin chops a quick salt sprinkle on the top and bottom.
- Heat a cast iron skillet with some oil, and when it’s hot, add in your pork. Sear for about 4-5 minutes, flip, and sear for another 4-5 minutes. Then, transfer to the oven, and roast for another 5-7 minutes until your internal meat temperature reaches at least 150 degrees F.
- Once you start to sear your pork on its first side, turn your attention to your caramel:
- Pour your water into your saucepan, and turn on the heat.
- Bring your sugary water to a simmer, and allow it to cook down and thicken.
- Keep cooking until your mixture begins to brown ever so slightly.
- (Don’t forget to tend to your pork as you go)
- When your sugar water browns a bit, turn the heat to low, and pour in your goat milk.
- Be sure to whisk, as your hot sugar water will likely seize up and form hard chunks in your pan. As you whisk, and your milk heats up, they will melt into the milk.
- When your milk/water/sugar mixture is smooth again, add in your butter and a pinch of salt, and whisk as it melts and dissolves.
- (Don’t forget to tend to your pork as you go)
- Bring your heat up slightly, and whisk intermittently as your pre-caramel bubbles to avoid it from bubbling over and to ensure even cooking.
- When your pork is done, remove from the oven, and plate it. Then, go back to your sauce (caramel is finicky).
- When your sauce thickens and begins to brown to a beautiful golden colour, you’re good to go! Don’t let it get too non-liquidy, or it will end up with a hard texture, and that makes it harder to pour. IF that happens, you can always add a little warm water to your pot, and re-whisk it in to get your desired consistency. (We had to do this)
- Quickly, drizzle your sauce over your pork.
- Devour, and enjoy!
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