Pan roasted boneless pork chop with parmesan polenta and bacony greens
A classic around here!
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 ea boneless pork chops (or pork loin, cut into chops, 1” thick or less)
Kosher salt and pepper to season
2-4 sprigs of thyme
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ cup corn meal or polenta
2 cups of water
Pinch kosher salt
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 pieces bacon, chopped
1 ea shallot, peeled and thinly sliced or minced
4 cups of your favorite greens, washed and rough chopped (kale, mustard, or whatever you like)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a stock pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Once boiling, whisk in ½ cup polenta. Stir the polenta until it comes back to a simmer and lower the heat to keep it at barely a bubble.
Cook for about 30 minutes or until the texture is smooth and creamy. Set aside
While the polenta is cooking, in a separate pan, add chopped bacon over medium heat and cook the bacon. Once cooked, remove as much of the bacon fat as you like, but leave at least a ½ tbsp or so in there. Next add the shallot and cook along with the bacon until the shallot is cooked and translucent.
Next add the greens and garlic, and cook until the greens wilt down. Season your greens and set aside until you’re ready to eat.
Lay your boneless pork chops onto a half sheet tray or other flat surface and season with salt and pepper.
Get a large sauté pan or cast-iron pan hot over medium to high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, lay your chops into the oil and gently press them flat into the pan. They should sizzle right away. If not, start when they do. Let them sear in the hot oil without touching them for about 2 minutes or until a golden-brown crust forms.
Turn the pork chops over and sear the other side for about 2 minutes or until a golden-brown crust is formed. This should make 1” thick pork chops about medium (I like to eat pork chops this temperature or even medium rare, but if you like yours more well done, you can stick them into a 400-degree oven for a few minutes or until your desired temperature is reached. Remove from oven or take off the heat and let rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
While your pork rests, add the thyme sprigs and smashed garlic to the pan. This will flavor the resting liquid that you can serve as a sauce.
You want to finish the polenta as your pork rests. Make sure its hot. You can turn on the burner if necessary. Stir in heavy cream, butter, parmesan, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
Serve everything immediately.