Pork Chops with Blackberry-Sage Pan Sauce

From the garden

• 2 cups fresh blackberries · fully black and soft; slightly overripe berries are perfect here
• 12 fresh sages, 8 whole leaves for frying, the rest finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

From the pantry

• 4 bone-in pork chops · about 1 inch thick
• ½ cup dry red wine
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Pat the chops very dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Let them sit while you chop the shallot and sage; a chop that is not fridge-cold sears more evenly.
2. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high. When the butter foams, add the 8 whole sage leaves and fry 30–45 seconds until they darken slightly and crisp. Lift them onto a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
3. Lay the chops in the hot fat and sear without moving them 4–5 minutes, until deeply browned. Flip and cook 4–5 minutes more, until a thermometer in the thickest part away from the bone reads 140°F. Move the chops to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and let them rest; they will climb to 145°F.
4. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat. Lower the heat to medium, add the shallot, and cook 2 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and chopped sage and stir 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the wine and scrape up every browned bit, then let it bubble until reduced by about half, 2 minutes.
5. Add the stock, blackberries, brown sugar, and mustard. Simmer 4–5 minutes, pressing about half the berries against the pan with a spoon so they collapse into the sauce while the rest stay whole, until the sauce is glossy and coats a spoon. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Off the heat, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and any juices from the resting chops. Spoon the sauce over the chops, top with the crisp sage leaves, and serve with mashed or roasted potatoes.