When peaches are less than perfect, make this bright, bold salsa

Peaches are one of my favorite fruits. At least in theory. I still have memories of the time I went peach picking with friends and was standing in the middle of an orchard, juice dribbling down my chin as I ate my fill of the sweet, succulent stone fruit. But in reality, peaches can be disappointing. I’ve bitten into my fair share of mediocre and sometimes outright unappetizing peaches, either because I was too impatient to let them ripen or I simply had a case of bad luck, no matter how hard I tried to select good ones.

But mediocre peaches can still yield excellent results when used in the right recipe, especially when given a flavor nudge. Case in point is my tomato and peach salsa.

In my head, I knew exactly what the salsa should be - fruity, herbaceous and slightly spicy - but the fruit part was lacking when I tested the combination in my kitchen. I mostly blame myself, as I was in a rush to get the recipe tested and grabbed the first seemingly acceptable peaches I saw at the grocery store. (Now feels like a good time to remind you to do as I say, not as I do.) Thankfully, I knew just the fix: honey.

The gold nectar works to macerate the fruit, which gives less-than-perfect produce a much-needed flavor boost, pushing it back toward that optimal peach taste we all know and love. While I typically associate maceration with fruit nestled inside shortcakes, spooned atop scoops of ice cream and used in other desserts, the technique can be applied in savory dishes, too. Any form of sugar will do (granulated sugar, agave, another liquid sweetener), but I picked honey because of the floral notes it shares with a perfectly ripe peach.

I stirred just a tablespoon of honey into the bowl of tomato, peach, serrano chile, shallot, cilantro, and lime zest and juice - and my first taste told me the salsa was finally firing on all cylinders, hitting all the right flavor notes, just as I knew it could. (Again, the honey may not be necessary if you’re blessed with good fruit.) Another day, I can see myself opening a bag of tortilla chips for shoveling the salsa into my mouth and calling it a meal, but tonight let’s serve it with seared pork chops.

The meat is seasoned with a spice blend featuring coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and garlic powder that complements the salsa nicely. When it comes to pork chops, I stand by my proclamation that basting them with butter is an easy way to ensure a moist, delicious product. But for a lighter take fit for the summer, I followed a technique from cookbook author Ali Slagle that calls for flipping the chops every 2 minutes over moderate heat for evenly cooked meat and a lower chance of drying out.

A perfectly cooked protein paired with a sweet and savory salsa bursting with flavor is a summer dinner to remember - and it just might remind you why you fell in love with the stone fruit in the first place.

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Pork Chops With Tomato-Peach Salsa

Serve seared pork chops with a fruity, herbaceous and slightly spicy tomato and peach salsa for a flavorful weeknight meal. (When making the salsa, core the tomato if you want it to be less liquidy.) Season the pork with a spice blend featuring coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Fill out this meal by serving it with a side of rice or tortilla chips for scooping up any extra salsa.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

For the pork chops

¼ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 (12-ounce) center-cut, bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or other neutral oil

For the tomato-peach salsa

1 medium tomato (7 ounces), cored, if desired, and diced

1 medium peach (6 ounces), halved, pitted and diced

1 shallot, finely diced

1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Fine salt

Season the pork chops: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the pork chops; set aside at room temperature.

Make the salsa: In a medium bowl, gently stir the tomato, peach, shallot, serrano pepper, lime zest and juice, and cilantro until combined. Taste, add the honey if the peach isn’t very ripe and season to taste with salt.

Cook the pork chops: Heat a 10- or 12-inch stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, swirl the pan to coat, add the pork chops and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pork chops, flipping every 2 minutes, until browned on the outside and the internal temperature in the thickest part away from the bone is around 135 degrees, about 12 minutes. If your chops have a fat cap, using tongs, stand the chops up on their narrow sides, fat side down, and sear until browned, about 1 minute. Transfer the meat to a cutting board or serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. (During this time, the internal temperature of the meat should rise to about 145 degrees, which is considered medium-rare.)

Place a pork chop on each plate (if serving 4, cut each pork chop in half). Top each with some of the salsa and serve warm.

Substitutions: Instead of Pork chops, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or fish fillets. The listed spices can be substituted with your favorite spice blend. For the shallot, use green, red, white or yellow onion. Instead of Serrano pepper use jalapeño.

Serves 2 to 4 (makes 2 pork chops and 1½ cups salsa)

Nutrition per serving (½ pork chop plus 6 tablespoons salsa), based on 4: 352 calories, 7g carbohydrates, 117mg cholesterol, 19g fat, 1g fiber, 36g protein, 6g saturated fat, 239mg sodium, 4g sugar

– From staff writer Aaron Hutcherson.