Some lunch time dinner talk–


On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 10:21 AM, J. wrote:

Hey,

I was wondering if you could help me out with something– A. has left it up to me to cook dinner tonight and I could use some helpful advice. I have three pork chops defrosted in the refrigerator. I was wondering if you had a simple yet delicious recipe that even an amateur cook such as myself could follow. I don't have a preference as to how it's cooked. I also need a starch and a veggie. I was thinking potatoes and string beans but that's my fall back all the time. Any suggestions or an easy to follow recipe would be awesome!

J-

On May 7, 2013, at 12:20 PM, nat wrote:

Hey-

I will probably have chops myself this week. This is what I usually do with them: Very lightly coat with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and ground fennel seeds. I always have fennel on hand– it's great on pork and especially roasted chicken! I toast them and grind them in a coffee grinder I use solely for spices. A mortar and pestle works well too. If you don't have fennel in the house the chops will still be delicious with plain ol' salt and pepper. Get a pan nice and hot (preferably cast iron if you have one), add some olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan (veg oil is fine if you prefer or a mixture of the two as olive oil can smoke fast, but I normally don't worry about that.) Sear 'em @ 4 mins each side (or internal temp @ 140-145 degrees). Let them rest in a dish with a little olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon and fresh herbs of your choice– oregano, marjoram, or rosemary... I especially like tarragon– which has a pleasant "fennelly" flavor– combined with chives. But hey- you're the chef and you can't go wrong...


Sides: I love plain ol' mashed potatoes and sauteed greens: escarole, chard, or broccoli rabe... this is total comfort food to me! It's also a dish that goes well with red or white wine. A dry rose would also kick ass!


Enjoy my friend!


I'm hungry......N.