Sunday dinner #1: Pork chops

Recently I won a large amount of high quality pork. Windfall meat. I spent $15 on a raffle ticket, and came home with 4 exciting cuts of heritage-breed pork. Pork chops, a loin, a picnic roast, and neck bones. 

Where to begin? Who to begin with? So many choices. I want to find the optimal use for each cut, and for pork chops I think I have a pretty good idea already. I made some great pork chops when my dad came to visit in April, so I invited my friend Samantha over for another round. 

Samantha is my officemate, my close friend and confidant, and one of my favorite people to eat with. We both have September birthdays, and a few years ago we celebrated together with a meal at the Publican, my first there. Three years later I still remember what we ate. Pork rinds, mussels, rabbit cassoulet, and pork belly. Oh what a pork belly (more on that in an upcoming post!). We must have had dessert - what kind of birthday dinner would not include dessert - but nothing is springing to mind at the moment.

I could probably write an entire blog just about great meals that Samantha and I have shared together. Here is just one. The recipe for the chops is simple and remains unchanged from my previous post. Instead of brussel sprouts, I served these pork chops with similarly prepared roasted broccoli. After the chops are done in the oven, turn up the heat to 400 degrees and get the broccoli started while the chops are searing and then resting.

Pan-seared pork chops
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Time: About 2 hours
Servings: 2

Ingredients
2 pork chops, at least 1 inch thick
Salt
Fat

Method
1. Pat the chops dry and salt on both sides, let stand for about 45 minutes. 

2. Cook the chops in a 275 degree oven for about 40 minutes. 

3. Sear in hot fat on each side for 2-3 minutes, rotating midway through to redistribute the fat. 

4. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before digging in.

Roasted broccoli
Loosely adapted from Epicurious

Time: About 20 minutes
Servings: 2-3 (I think I had some leftover, but not much)

Ingredients
2 things of broccoli (what is a unit of broccoli? a head?)
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion
1/2 cup beer or broth (I used beer)
A large handful of golden raisins
1/4 scant cup apple cider vinegar

Method
1. Chop the broccoli. I like to cut off the florets and cut them into bite-sized pieces. I really like the stems of broccoli too (people often find this strange), so I also cut them into bite-sized pieces and mix them in with the florets. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large roasting pan.

2. Roast the broccoli in a hot oven (about 400 degrees) until the stems are tender and the florets are a little crispy. Check their progress after about 8 minutes and shake them around in the pan before returning to the oven for another 8 minutes or so. I don't time this strictly; cook it until you like its taste and texture.

3. While the broccoli is roasting, heat a heavy pan or skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon until it crisps, leaving the fat in the pan. Remove the crispy bacon and save in whatever dish you'll be using to serve the broccoli.

4. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft and slightly browned (3-5 minutes). Keep the onions moving; as you stir scrape up any browned bits from the bacon.

5. Reduce heat to low and add raisins. Cook briefly and add the beer and vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook down until the mixture resembles a sauce. 

6. Toss the roasted broccoli, bacon, and beer/vinegar sauce in a serving dish and serve alongside the pork chops.