Me and the Check Out Lady at the Vons agree: we love us some pork chops. Yes, bone-in is more flavorful, but it's hard to beat the boneless kind for mid-week convenience and good, meaty comfort.
This lovely recipe is a chop-and-saute exercise. And I say it's yummy! Fennel is so under-appreciated. You can eat its licorice-y goodness raw in salads, sauteed in butter and oil, or roasted with other root veggies. I served this with a salad of arugula, apricots, red bell pepper, red onion and feta with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.
Mangia!
Pork Scallopini with Fennel and Caper Salsa Verde
Adapted From Chef Jeremy Fox of Rustic Canyon Wine Bar
1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fennel fronds
2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped capers
2 Tbsp. minced shallots
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 lemons, zested, lemons reserved
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. 1 1/2" thick boneless pork loin chops
2 Tbsp. ground fennel seed
Kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
In a bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients with half of the olive
oil. Set aside.
Gently score both sides of each chop with the tip of a sharp
knife, then lightly brush the meat with olive oil. Place each slice of pork,
spaced well apart, on a counter or cutting board and cover the surface with
plastic wrap.
Pound with a flat-surfaced mallet until 3/4 inch in
thickness. Remove the plastic and season each portion on both sides with the
fennel seed, salt, and pepper.
Heat remaining oil in a medium-hot cast iron pan. Add the
pork and cook until brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (No need to fry it
dry. Today’s pork is bred to have fatty goodness with a slight rosy interior when
done and juicy and that nasty trichinosis stuff of past food lore is actually
killed off at a lower temp than previously thought) Transfer to a cutting board
to rest for about 3 minutes. In the same pan, cook the reserved lemon halves
until brown and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes.
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