A 5 Star Pork Recipe

I've spent a lot of time in Italy and learned a lot about food there. I learned that drowning your pasta with too much sauce is a crime. I learned to like grappa and I learned what agrodolce is. Agro = sour, dolce = sweet. This sauce transforms simple meals into something you would be thrilled to eat in a 5 star restaurant.


Buy the largest fattest t-bone pork chops you can find.


I like to brine all kinds of meats. There is no better way to guarantee a most, flavorful end result. Mix a 1/2 cup of salt with 10 cups of water and add a sweetener and herbs. You can use sugar, honey, maple syrup or molasses. I used 1/2 cup of honey, black peppercorns, diced fresh rosemary, a bay leaf or two and 4 cloves of diced garlic. Place the chops in a plastic bag with the brine, place the bag in a bowl, place it in the refrigerator and turn it every so often. Brine for 24 hours.


Make the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar to a heavy pot. Add 1/2 cup of your sweetener, in this case, 1/2 cup of honey. Add 4 diced garlic cloves and a bunch of chopped rosemary. Add about 5 sliced green onions. Bring this to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes then set aside.



It will thicken as it sits.



You can serve this dish with any kind of grain or mashed potatoes. I served mine with stone ground grits. We love grits!


Grits take a while to cook so start them an hour or so before you are going to serve the dish.


Just follow the directions on your grits. You can add all sorts of flavorings and cheese. Go with what you like. I like to mix in a couple tablespoons of truffle butter or truffle oil to give them an earthy taste. You can mix in 1/2 cup of Parmesan or goat cheese too.

Dry your pork chops on paper towels.


Get as much moisture out of them as you can.


Sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper, granulated garlic and onion.


Brown them in several tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.


Brown and season both sides.

Remove from the burner and place them in a 400 degree oven. Bake for about 20 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.


Serve them over you starch of choice and ladle on a couple spoonfuls of the sauce. Sprinkle with more green onions.


The Blog Techs eyes rolled back in his head when he tasted them.


He was a very happy boy!

Comments

John'aLee said…
Oh these look yummy! I love all of your recipes. This morning I was working on a new spicy pork loin...even took pics so I can post like you do. You are such an inspiration girlie!
brokenteepee said…
I love grits. Odd for a Northern girl, I know but there's something so comforting about them.
Anonymous said…
Like all the food You show here, this looks delicious and I can see on the blog tech that it is :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.
I had the best meal of my life in Italy. Pasta so divine and so wonderfully prepared that I never wanted the meal to end! It was in an otherwise unremarkable little seafood restaurant in one of the towns of Cinque Terre.
Barb said…
Looks so good!! You can tell that the blog tech is a connoisseur of great food. We're having a lovely snow storm! Wish you were here!
I can't wait to make these. Pork Chops are a favorite here. BT looks like he is having a great time. Grits and Pork Chops, are you sure you're not southern?
Barbara F. said…
This sounds delicious, I have only brined a turkey at Thanksgiving. I like your recipe for the brining liquid. I love grits too. My Sicilian grandmother made dishes agrodolce. I hadn't heard that in a long time! xo
Anonymous said…
a picture says a thousand words!
TARYTERRE said…
I don't fix alot of pork. But am always looking for NEW recipes. This fits the bill. Sounds delicious.
Marigold said…
I see the Blog Tech is never without his computer. :)
Nellie said…
This looks amazing! I can taste it now!
SharleneT said…
You are so right about too much sauce and, yet, we have a local Italian restaurant that insist on drowning every pasta dish they serve. This sounds yummy and definitely going to be given a try. Thanks for sharing. Come visit when you can.
Julia said…
This looks just my sort of dish. Pork is difficult to get hold of in Turkey, sadly. I'll content myself with looking at your photos. :)
Phoebe said…
Love this! Wonderful photos, excited to make this!