Maybe you live in Lost Springs, Wyoming (population: two), or maybe the finances this month are such that the only dining out you can do is off the dollar menu. That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat well, right? So we've asked two chefs from this year's group of honored eateries to supply us with a fairly easy and incredibly satisfying recipe for a dish they serve. Give them a try. It'll be like eating at one of the Best New Restaurants in America, and you won't even have to put on pants.
Ingredients
Serves four
- 4 shoulder or loin pork chops, 1½ inch thick
- salt and pepper
- 8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8 cipollini onions, peeled
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup red-wine vinegar
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked white beans
- 2 cups packed shred-ded escarole
- 1 lemon
For the marinade:
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
To marinate, combine pork chops with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil in a ziplock bag and let sit in the refrigerator for up to three days. On the day you're cooking, remove and bring to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove pork from marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and, once hot, add the pork chops. Let cook for three minutes, then flip and cook for three minutes more. Place pan directly into the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. The pork is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Remove from oven and let rest.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Combine butter with 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and brown all over, using tongs to flip. Sprinkle with sugar, deglaze with red-wine vinegar, and cook until liquid is evaporated. Add rosemary and chicken stock. Return to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until onions are soft. Remove the onions and set aside, reserving the liquid to dress the pork chop.
Heat a second sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, add garlic and sauté one minute. Add the white beans and sauté five minutes more. Add escarole and sauté two minutes more, until escarole is wilted. Season with salt and pepper and top with lemon juice and remaining oil.
To serve, top pork chops with white-bean-escarole sauté and onions and drizzle with onion jus.
