PORK n PEPPERS Techniques learned: Ingredients: To Prepare the Chops: Directions: Step By Step

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1 PORK n PEPPERS Makes 2. By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a Gordon Ramsay recipe. I love to watch a real chef cook. I can learn not only new foods, but useful kitchen techniques I d never thought about. This recipe taught me a way to cut bell peppers in a quick and simple way for chopping or slicing. The dish itself, if the pork chops are cooked only until done and tender (not overcooked), is simple and delicious. With some advance preparation, you can cook this meal in minutes. Techniques learned: Trimming a bell pepper for slicing. Ingredients: Olive oil for frying 1 red onion (about 12 ounces/340g) 2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 gold Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or tarragon vinegar) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 small bunch (~1 ounce/28g) fresh basil leaves 2 pork chops, about 7 ounces/200g each To Prepare the Chops: Olive oil for frying 2 cloves garlic, gently crushed and peeled Fresh thyme 3 tablespoons butter Directions: Cut the stem from the peppers and set each pepper on its head. Cut the flesh along the sides of each pepper, leaving behind the seeds and white membrane. Slice the pepper pieces into long slender spears. Chop the onion into medium coarse pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and sauté over medium-high heat until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice (or vinegar) and cook about a minute to reduce the liquid. Add the extra virgin olive oil and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer. Julienne the basil by cutting the leaves into strings. Add to the skillet, cook about 30 seconds, and then transfer to a dish. Wipe the pan carefully. (There is no need to wash it.) Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and coarsely grated pepper. If there is a fatty rind along the edge of the chops, cut through it to the meat at about 1 inch intervals. Add oil to the skillet and heat until hot. Sear the pork chops, with the garlic and plenty of thyme sprigs, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Then add the butter to the pan and spoon it over the chops several times during the cooking. If you have a good meat thermometer, cook to an internal temperature of about 140 F (60 C). Transfer to a plate with the garlic, cover with foil, and let rest 4 to 5 minutes. Arrange some of the sautéed peppers on a plate and set a pork chop on top, a little to one side. Serve immediately. The Step By Step guide begins on the following page

2 1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 This is my mise en place for this recipe. There are no specialty items here. Most, if not all, of these ingredients should be easily available in most grocery stores. 2 This is a trick I learned from a Gordon Ramsay video. I used to cut the top off a pepper and then carefully clean out the seeds and membrane from the inside. Not necessary. To trim the flesh from the pepper easily, start my cutting off the stem.

3 3 3 With the stem gone, the pepper should easily stand on its head without rolling around. 4 Cut along the full length of the pepper, a little from the center to avoid the seeds.

4 5 4 Trim all the flesh from the sides of the pepper, leaving the seeds and the membrane to be discarded. This is the easiest way I have seen for cutting a bell pepper. 6 Cut the pieces the long way into long strips, or julienne.

5 7 5 Do the same with the red bell pepper. They are ready for cooking. Meanwhile, chop the onion into medium coarse chop. 8 Heat the frying oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the onions.

6 9 6 Add the peppers with the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the pan fairly hot over medium high heat. 10 Sauté the onions and peppers until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the lemon juice (or vinegar) and boil to reduce the liquid. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Cook about a minute. Add the basil, cook 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate.

7 11 7 Using the broad, flat side of the knife, lightly crush the garlic cloves to release the skin. 12 Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. If there is a fatty rind surrounding part of the chop, cut through it at intervals, just to the meat. This will keep the ring from shrinking and curling the port chop during cooking.

8 13 8 Wipe the skillet, add more oil, and heat until hot. Add the chops, garlic, and thyme. Sear until browned on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side, longer if thick. Then add butter to the pan and spoon it over the chops several times during the cooking. Pushing some of the thyme under the chops will add more flavor to them. If you have a good digital thermometer, cook the chops to an internal temperature of about 140 F (60 C). 14 Transfer the chops with the garlic to a plate and let rest 4 to 5 minutes.

9 15 9 To plate, arrange some of the sautéed peppers on a plate. Place a chop on top, a little to one side. Mash the cooked garlic on top. I had applesauce in the freezer (made from scratch much earlier); so I added it to the plate. (When I was a child, my mother always served pork chops with applesauce.) Conclusion This is a quick and easy dish to cook after all the prep work is done. You can speed up the cooking time by cooking the chops in one skillet while the peppers are sautéing in another.