It has recently been brought to my attention that I have not
written to a new blog post since early August. I have been really busy since August, starting a new school
year, and then promptly switching to an entirely new school district a month
later. This transition has taken a
fairly significant toll on me; however, despite any excuses I may have, the
idea of a three-month absence from my blog honestly makes me wince. A blog is not a static creature; it
only exists for as long as it is actually being written, and mine was coming
dangerously close to extinction.
The longer I went without writing, that more difficult it was to even
consider making time for it. Alas,
I am sitting in front of my computer, with my proverbial tail between my legs,
with the offering of some humble pork chops to my audience (assuming I still
have one). This is my first prolonged absence (and probably not my last), but hopefully this post bring a resurgence of cooking and blogging in my life. At the very least, it brought some braised pork chops into my kitchen.
The weather is getting colder and days darker, and this is
truly my favorite time of year to cook.
Soups, braises, baked pastas, and roasted vegetables are perfect for the
winter months, and these are the recipes that resonate with me. I don’t believe there is a pork chop
recipe to date on my blog, so I thought I would expand my horizons, but do so
with one of my favorite and familiar cooking methods: braising. First, I seared the pork chops. The key is to let them get really
brown; make sure the pan is hot and let them sear, undisturbed, for about 5
minutes on each side. There may
even be a few wisps of smoke. Then
I let them simmer in tomatoes and white wine, with capers and herbs. I don’t make a lot of pork chops, but
in general, bone-in cuts result in more flavor, so I went with bone-in, center
cut pork chops, and they were even better than expected. I used fresh thyme, but I think any
combination of herbs would work (dried or fresh). Despite the fact that it is November, my outdoor thyme plant
is thriving on my balcony, so I am taking advantage of it while I still can. Lately, I’ve been cooking the simplest
things possible, mostly on the grill to minimize dishes. I’ve been avoiding anything more
involved, but cooking and writing about these pork chops felt like a
relief. I also made some
lemon-thyme couscous, which seemed right at home with the tomatoey sauce. And I made some roasted broccoli as
well because I can’t seem to get enough of it lately, but sautéed spinach would
have been another perfect accompaniment.
Braised Pork Chops with Capers, Tomatoes, and Thyme
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb. pork chops (center cut, bone-in. This amount of sauce could handle one
to one and half pounds)
1 small red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 teaspoons fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish
1 cup white wine
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
-
Season pork chops liberally with salt and
freshly group black pepper
-
In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium
high heat, for 4-5 minutes, until lightly smoking, and add the butter. Stir to combine.
-
Add pork chops in a single layer or in batches
(do no crowd them, or move them around to allow them to brown for about 5
minutes per side). Remove browned
pork chops from pan and set aside.
-
Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and hot
pepper flakes, if using (add another teaspoon of oil if the pan looks dry), and
sauté and stir frequently for 8-10 minutes until they are softened but not
browned.
-
Add tomato paste, garlic, and thyme and sauté,
stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
-
Add white wine, bring to a boil and add canned
tomatoes. Allow mixture to boil
for about 5-8 minutes so it reduces slightly (by about a 1/4-1/3)
-
Add capers to the mixture, then return the pork
chops to the pan.
-
Reduce the heat to medium (so the mixture is
simmering, but not aggressively boiling), cover the pan, but leave the lid
vented so that steam can escape.
-
Allow to cook for about 15 minutes, flipping
pork chops every 5 minutes.
-
Finish with lemon juice or vinegar; serve with
lemon-thyme couscous
Lemon Thyme Couscous
1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup of couscous
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
-
Add chicken stock, thyme, and lemon zest
to a small pan and bring to a boil.
-
Add couscous, turn off heat and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes until all
liquid is absorbed.
-
Fluff with a fork and season with lemon juice,
olive oil, and salt/pepper.
