Cured Pork Chops With Sweet Potatoes Bacon And Romesco Recipes

PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES, ONIONS, AND SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste, and arrange in a medium oven safe skillet. Top pork chops with onions, sweet potatoes, and apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Season with 2 teaspoons pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until sweet potatoes are tender and pork chops have reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).

CURED PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET POTATOES, BACON, AND ROMESCO

Steps:

• Submerge the pork chops completely in the brine, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes before you're ready to cook, and take the pork chops out of the refrigerator to bring them to room temperature. If they're wet from the brine, pat them dry with paper towels.
• When the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, brush the pork chops with the olive oil, and place them on the grill. Cook the pork chops 5 to 7 minutes on the first side (depending on how thick they are), rotating them a couple of times, until they're seared and have a nice color. Turn them over and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or so, rotating them often, until medium-rare to medium. You can peek inside, near the bone; they should be a little pink.
• Arrange the sweet potatoes on a large warm platter, and drizzle about 1/4 cup romesco over them. Place the grilled pork chops on top, and slather each one with a generous spoonful of romesco. Serve the rest of the romesco on the side.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Peel the sweet potatoes, and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and reduced sherry.
• In a medium sauté pan, cook the butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, until it's brown and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes. Add the sage and thyme to the butter, and pour it over the sweet potatoes, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula to get all the brown bits. Toss with a large spoon, being careful of the hot butter. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large roasting pan and bake in the oven 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are caramelized and tender. Stir with a metal spatula every so often, to coat the potatoes evenly with the butter and sugar.
• While the potatoes are cooking, slice the bacon lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Stack them in two piles, then cut the strips crosswise into 3/8-inch even-sided rectangles, or lardons. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the bacon, and cook about 5 minutes, until it's tender and lightly crisped. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a plate.
• When the sweet potatoes are done, remove the pan from the oven and toss in the bacon and spinach. Taste for seasoning.
• The chops need to soak in the brine for 24 hours, so plan ahead. You can make the romesco the day before. And you can cook the sweet potatoes in the morning and reheat them just before serving.