Same Chop, Different Method

I made the prettiest pork chop tonight...but I ate it too quickly to take a picture. My bad. I actually didn't season it any different than I did when I baked it, but I did cook it in a little bit of olive oil on the stove. I served it up with some carrots and sweet potato fries--and I added a sprinkle of chili powder to the cinnamon, salt and olive oil. It gave it a tiny little kick that was just right!

Here's how to make that pretty little pork chop...

1. In a small pan, put a teaspoon of olive oil and one clove of garlic (that's one little part, not the whole head!). Before you throw the garlic in the pan, smash it with the palm of your hand or the flat side of a large knife...

**Pause** Don't be a dummy. If you smash the garlic clove with a knife, be careful. Watch out for the blade (that's the cutty, sharp part, Velma). Just set the flat part on the garlic and press down so that when you're done, you still have the same number of fingers you started with. gah.

ok...

2. So you're heating the olive oil and the garlic in your SMALL fry pan...medium heat...add in a the leave from one sprig of rosemary. It'd be about 10 or so leaves.
3. While the pan and contents are heating up, set your pork chop on a towel and pat it dry. Sprinkle some fresh pepper and kosher salt on the exposed side then put that side down in the pan.
4. On the 'blank' side or the side you haven't seasoned that is now facing up, go ahead and add the seasonings, pepper and salt. Cook each side for about 7 or 8 minutes. You want it to have a little bit of a brown-ness going...not burnt, but cooked.

OK, before you dig in to that chop, make sure it's done cooking. If you have a meat thermometer, it should read more than 150 degrees to be done (if it's under you run the risk of getting sick. no bueno.) I read on the interwebs that for a chop to be well done it should be at 170 and a chop cooked 'medium' should be at 155. Well...I'm not a fan of pink pork chops. It might be fine, but I make sure it's white all the way through. A meat thermometer is on my kitchen wish list, but until I get one, I have to look at the middle of the meat. Less scientific, but it works. IF you check one spot and it looks questionable, check another one...better safe than sorry. AND, don't just check the edge, check the middle of the pork chop. Don't be afraid to slice into it. Just serve it with the cut side down so it still looks pretty :)


I really want to make my acorn squash for dinner tomorrow. Y'all love acorn squash, right?


Happy cooking, y'all!

amy