Bryce Pork Chop

Bryce Pork Chop

Grilled French-Cut Kurobuta Pork Chop
Fondue Potatoes, Thyme Roasted Carrots
Sage-Scented Croutons, Fried Sage Leaves
Pomegranate Vinaigrette

The Bryce Pork Chop is as visually striking as it is flavorful. A grilled French-cut Kurobuta pork chop rests on a bed of creamy fondue potatoes at the center of a shallow bowl, encircled by a pomegranate vinaigrette that adds tang and subtle sweetness.

Thyme-roasted carrots bring warm earthy orange tones, while sage-scented croutons and crisp fried sage leaves add texture, aroma, and a lush green accent reminiscent of the rocks, sagebrush, and evergreens that dot the landscape.

The dish’s palette—rosy pork, golden potatoes, vibrant carrots, and reddish-brown vinaigrette—evokes the dramatic layers and hues of Bryce Canyon, making it a plate that’s both artful and deeply satisfying.

The landscape itself is a mosaic of red and orange hoodoos, sandy soil, sagebrush flats, and pine forests. The contrast between the warm stone spires and the green sage and pine gives Bryce Canyon its striking, painterly beauty — the same harmony of tones this pork chop dish evokes.

Though it’s not true culinary sage, sagebrush has a similar earthy aroma, which is why the green fried sage leaves in this dish feel like a natural echo of the Bryce Canyon landscape — a nod to those silvery-green shrubs scattered among the canyon’s warm, sunlit rock.

This dish was inspired by a fabulous al fresco dinner at Stone Hearth Grille in Tropic, Utah near Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Pork Chop Recipe

Thyme Roasted Carrots

• carrots
• olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• thyme sprigs

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the carrots and cut them evenly into 2–3 inch pieces, about ½–¾ inch thick. Toss the carrots with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, then spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer, making sure not to crowd them. Roast for 25–35 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the carrots are golden, tender, and slightly crisp around the edges.

Fondue Potatoes

• 14 oz. mashed potatoes (basic recipe)
• 1 T. butter
• splash of heavy cream
• 1/3 c. grated gruyere cheese
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• nutmeg

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat, add mashed potatoes and a splash of cream, stirring often until smooth and hot. Add the grated cheese gradually, stirring constantly until each addition melts completely before adding more. Keep the heat low to melt the cheese gently. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a splash more cream. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a grating of nutmeg.

Fried Sage Leaves

• butter
• olive oil
• sage leaves
• fine sea salt

Heat equal parts of butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, use tongs to add sage leaves in a single layer. Fry the leaves just until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Finish with a pinch of fine salt.

Sage-Scented Croutons

• brioche, cubed

Immediately after removing the sage leaves from the butter/oil mixture, add cubed brioche. Toss to coat. Fry just until crisp. Remove to paper towels.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 T. pomegranate molasses
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Place ingredients in a jar and blend with an immersion blender.

Frenched Bone-In Pork Chop

To French a pork chop, trim away the excess fat and meat about 1–2 inches from the end of the bone, carefully cutting around the tip of the rib to leave the bone exposed. Then, use the knife to scrape any remaining meat, sinew, or fat from the exposed bone, creating a clean, elegant presentation.

Don’t throw away the trimmings—toss the meat with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and cook up on the hot grill for a nice little snack.

Bring the Kurobuta chop(s) to room temperature. Brush with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the chop over a medium-high grill for 3–4 minutes per side, then move it to medium-low or indirect grill heat to finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 140–145°F. Finally, let the chop rest so the juices can redistribute, ensuring a tender and flavorful result.

To Plate

Ladle fondue potatoes in the center of warm shallow bowl(s). Spoon vinaigrette around the potatoes. Place pork chop over the potatoes. Arrange carrots, croutons, and fried sage over the pork chop.

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