Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Organic Pork Chops w/ Southern Style Green Beans & Grilled Polenta


Hey Divas, so I have a confession to make. Pork is back on the menu at the Diva household! Having been raised mostly vegetarian by a converted Jew, and currently in a relationship with a man of the Jewish persuasion, I've never had much exposure to pork. However, recently, with my Top Chef Brother's affinity for butchering and curing his own pigs and the influx in the marketplace of affordable, healthy cuts of organic pork, I've turned to cooking this protein to great results! In fact, I loved this recipe for pork chops so much, I want to marry it!

Earlier this week, I picked up two large, organic pork chops and settled on rubbing them with herbs, garlic and olive oil and then frying them up in a pan. Keeping with my recent Southern roots theme, I cooked up a healthy version of Southern style green beans (that's minus the bacon) and served it all over grilled parmesan reggiano polenta (using my leftover grits from my Cajun Catfish dinner - click here). This meal cooked quickly and is perfect for the busy diva! So check it out. I promise you'll be as in love as I am.

Domestic Diva's Pork Chops w/ Southern Style Green Beans & Grilled Polenta

2 large organic pork chops
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
1 tbsp thyme, chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp grapeseed oil or canola oil
salt and pepper

Southern Style Green Beans:
2 cups green beans, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Grilled Polenta:
2 cups parmesan reggiano strewn grits (see catfish recipe), spread into a pan and allowed to rest overnight
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

To make the green beans, heat the olive oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add the shallot and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Ad the green beans and saute for 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken broth and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the green beans are extra tender. Season with salt and pepper.

To make the grilled polenta, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Cut slices of the polenta and fry them in the pan until browned and crispy, flipping them once.

To make the pork chops, rub both sides with the herb mixture, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. In a saute pan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add the pork chops, cooking for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from heat.


To plate, place the grilled polenta on the plate. Spoon some of the green beans over the polenta. Top with the pork chop. Enjoy!

Wine Tasting Notes: Tablas Creek 2006 Grenache

Diva Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Kuzak and I love both love Tablas Creek, a fabulous Paso Robles producer of Rhone blends and varietals. We've been in their wine club for years. Recently, we received our new shipment, including their 2006 Grenache. Typically, I'm a sucker for a good bottle of grenache, and this wine lived up to my expectations. Rich with nice fruit and a smooth, structured finish, I could drink this any night of the week (and considering the inexpensive price, I just might). I highly recommend checking out Tablas Creek!

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