Date Night Pork Chop Recipes

DATE NIGHT PORK CHOP RECIPE

Steps:

• You want to season your 1 lb. pork loin chop (1-1½" thick) in advance and let it sit out at room temperature (it cooks much more evenly that way). Pat chop dry with paper towels and place on a plate. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper, turning with tongs; set aside while you do your prep (it can sit at room temperature up to 1 hour, but prep won't take you that long). Basically How To Alert LEAVING MEAT ON THE COUNTER FREAK YOU OUT? READ THIS. Shave 1 oz. Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler, then use your fingers to break into small shards. Cover with a damp paper towel (to prevent it from drying out). Using the bottom of a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, smash 3 Tbsp. hazelnuts, a few at a time, on a cutting board, breaking into bits. Peel 1 shallot, then finely chop. Separate leaves from 1 large or 2 small endive, trimming from the bottom as you work your way to the core. Place in a medium bowl, cover with damp paper towel, and chill until ready to use. Preheat skillet you used to smash hazelnuts over medium heat. Drizzle ½ tsp. honey over one side of pork chop, then drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil. Rub with clean hands all over surface of chop, then turn and rub second side with same honey-oil mixture to evenly coat (this will help the pork caramelize as you cook it). Lay pork in skillet and cook, leaving it be, until first side is dark brown and caramelized all over, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook second side until browned, about 3 minutes longer. Turn pork chop upright and hold on its side with tongs to sear fat cap; cook about 2 minutes. Turn heat to low and cook chop another minute on both sides. Transfer to cutting board and insert an instant-read thermometer into middle of chop, about ½" from bone. It should register about 130°. If it's under, cook another minute or two, then let rest on cutting board 5-10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add hazelnuts and 2 Tbsp. oil to skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring with tongs, until hazelnuts turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are softened and browned and hazelnuts smell toasty, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tsp. honey. Cut 1 lemon in half and squeeze juice from one half into skillet. Stir to combine, then remove from heat. Cut around core of 1 apple, removing flesh in 3 lobes. Thinly slice 2 of the 3 pieces, then snack on the remaining piece if you like. Remove bowl of endive from refrigerator and add apple and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, squeeze second lemon half over, and toss to coat. Cut bone away from chop and cut meat into ½"-thick slices. Place pork and bone on one side of a large plate and pour juices over; season with salt. Gently arrange salad next to chop. Spoon shallot-hazelnut mixture over salad and pork and serve.

DATE NIGHT PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Chop onion. Trim any excess fat from the pork chops. Start a pot of water boiling for the noodles.
• In a heavy 12" skillet heat oil over med-high heat. Add chops, and brown about 4 minutes on each side.
• Remove the chops. Set aside. Discard extra fat from the skillet.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the skillet, and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often until tender.
• Stir the water, bouillon, salt, dill and pepper into the skillet, scraping up the brown bits.
• Return the chops to the skillet and bring the broth to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes.
• Remove the chops from the broth to a cutting board. Pour the broth into a heat-safe 2 cup measuring cup, skim the fat from the top.
• Cut the medallions of pork off the bone. Set aside, covered to keep warm.
• Start the noodles cooking, following package instructions.
• Return the broth to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with one tablespoon of water, then stir the mixture into the yogurt.
• Reduce the heat under the skillet, and stir the yogurt mixture into the boiling broth. Heat the sauce until slightly thickened, but do NOT boil.
• Add the pork medallions to the sauce and heat together a few moments. Drain the noodles. Serve over hot noodles.
• NOTES: I like to use white pepper in a white sauce, but either is fine. I save the chop bones in a bag in the freezer for soup (or some other use) later. I haven't tried this recipe yet with Greek yogurt, but I can only imagine it would be even better than the traditional kind. *This recipe is easily made gluten free by substituting gluten-free pasta for the egg noodles. I only use Tinkyada brand, and I think the brown rice fusilli works best with this recipe, although the penne would be an acceptable alternative.