Oven-Barbecued Buttermilk Pork Chops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this is a ridiculously easy recipe, it's surprisingly tasty and everyone who has tried these chops really seems to enjoy them. The base recipe feeds 6 people. If you need more than six chops, the recipe directions will remain the same, but you will need a second heavy skillet in which to cook the overflow. I use an Asian barbecue sauce to glaze our chops, but any sauce, including a commercially prepared one, can be used to finish them.  Buttermilk should be the star here. It makes the chops remarkably tender and moist, and the sauce is almost superfluous if you keep the pork on the rare side.  Please don't overcook it.  When we are home, I serve the chops  with cheese scalloped potatoes, but limitations of the kitchen I'm working in, make mac n' cheese a better choice for dinner tonight. I really like chops cooked in this fashion. The technique is interesting and much like the one I use for thick-cut beef filets. It works for beef and it works for pork as well.  I think it is a great way to assure that meat is not overcooked. I hope you try these. Here's the recipe.

Oven-Barbecued Buttermik Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients: 

Chops

6 to 12 (1-1/4 inch thick) boneless pork chops
1 quart lowfat butter milk
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin  olive oil
Barbecue Sauce
1/3 cup miso
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup Korean chile paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Directions:
1) Lightly salt and pepper pork chops. Place chops in a single layer on bottom of a large, shallow baking pan. Cover chops with buttermilk and refrigerate over night, turning chops once or twice.
2) To make barbecue sauce: Whisk  miso, sugar, sesame oil, fish sauce, vinegar, chile paste, garlic and ginger together in a bowl. Transfer to a small pan and boil to thicken slightly. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate sauce until needed.
3) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drain chops and pat dry. Season both sides well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet until it shimmers. Add 6 pork chops to pan and cook over high heat until browned on bottom, turn chops and immediately transfer skillet to oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until instant read thermometer registers 135 degrees F. Brush chops with sauce and glaze under broiler for a minute or two to set. Serve immediately, passing extra sauce at the table. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Butter Pecan Ice Cream

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Three Years Ago Today: Pink Lemonade

James Beard - Smothered Pork Chops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...How can you not love a man who when asked about cannibalism said, " I might manage if there was enough tarragon around."

I wanted to take some time this week to focus on another gentleman who was instrumental in the careers of many of the women who are on the Gourmet Live list of Women Game Changers in Food. James Beard is considered by many to be the father of American cooking. Even his detractors will admit he was a champion of American food and his writing reflected his delight in its abundance and variety. He was born in Portland, Oregon to an English mother who ran the Gladstone Hotel and his experience there certainly influenced his love of food and the theater. He went to England at the age of 19 to study opera and then came to New York City to become an actor. He opened a catering shop to keep from starving. The business was successful and three years later he published his first cookbook. He was able to channel his love of food with a flair for the dramatic and used his talents as a showman to bring drama to the American table. He also is credited with being the first food personality to introduce French food to the American middle class. He went on to publish more than twenty books, as well as writing numerous articles for newspapers and magazines. He became a leading food expert, championing American cuisine and helping to place it on a par with the foods of Europe. He was one of the first food writers to appear on television and he opened a new-type of cooking school whose goal was to teach home cooks to enjoy and take pleasure in the food they prepared. He effectively taught Americans, who had survived the Depression and the austerity of war, to have fun with their food and enjoy the abundance of the land in which they lived. His meals were eclectic because he believed that cooks, not culture, made food interesting. In 1986, his house became the headquarters for the James Beard Foundation, a place where chefs from around the world came to showcase their skills. Julia Child, a good friend, assisted by Peter Krump of cooking school fame, spearheaded the effort to raise funds needed to create the foundation. The mission of the foundation is to celebrate, nurture and preserve America's diverse culinary heritage and future. Through events such as the annual celebration of Beard's Birthday and the prestigious Beard Awards for members of the food industry, his foundation has established a generous scholarship fund and a national network of chefs, writers, and restaurateurs. Despite changes in the way America eats, the Beard Awards keep his name alive and within the food community he is remembered with great fondness and respect.

Because he was such a champion of American food, I wanted to feature a recipe that epitomized his style. These pork chops came to mind. They are simple, easy to prepare and decidedly American. When the onions are properly cooked, this recipe is delightful. They should be cooked until they have softened and browned without becoming mushy. The onions should hold a recognizable shape. I found mine needed 15 minutes to cook and release their sweetness. I know that those of you who make the pork chops will be very pleased with the results. Here's the recipe.

Smothered Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of James Beard

Ingredients:
4 pork loin chops or 4 pork chops, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Madeira or dry sherry wine

Directions:
1) Combine 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a large heavy skillet. When sizzling add chops and brown well on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
2) Season chops with salt and pepper. Remove to a platter while onions cook.
3) Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Add onions and cook until soft and golden brown, turning as necessary to prevent burning.
4) Return chops to pan and arrange onions on top of them. Reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine and simmer until chops are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.


Be sure to stop by tomorrow. I'll be featuring the dish voted to be the most delicious in the world.









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Two Years Ago Today: Coconut Cloud Pudding

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Glaze

Featured in Food News Journal, Best of the Blogs - January 10, 2011

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For better or for worse we are a nation of meat eaters. On average, a typical American consumes 61 pounds of beef, 59 pounds of chicken and 46 pounds of pork each year. Strangely enough, that love of meat does not extend to lamb, and that typical American will eat less than a pound of it a year. Buried in the data is the fact that fully one-third of Americans have never tasted lamb. Those numbers astound me. I live in a region where sheep are raised and lamb is readily available. It is also fairly priced. Bob and I have lamb at least four times a month and enjoy it immensely. I suspect we skew the numbers that statisticians report. I know for a fact that my family consumes at least 50 pounds of lamb in the course of a year, and the Armenian family at the bottom of our hill consumes even more of it than we do. We have our own little "cluster" on this hillside and that means because we eat so much of it, 200 of you probably aren't eating any at all. More's the pity. Because we have lamb so often, I make it a point to look for new recipes and ways to cook it. Among the holdovers I had from the holiday, were four double cut lamb chops and some generic pomegranate juice and seeds. I searched for a recipe that used those three ingredients, and Google found one developed by the California Sheep Commission. It was exactly what I was looking for. While the recipe is quite easy to do, the lamb requires at least 8 hours to marinate, so, you'll have to plan accordingly. This is a lovely recipe. You will have to watch the chops closely as they brown very quickly and can burn. I hope you'll give it a try. Here's how the chops are made.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of California Sheep Commission

Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves + mint leaves for garnish
4 double-thick lamb loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
Garnish: 1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds

Directions:
1) Combine pomegranate juice, garlic, peppercorns and chopped mint in non-reactive bowl; mix well. Add chops and turn several times to coat all sides. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, turning occasionally.
2) Remove chops from marinade; drain and set aside. Pour marinade into small saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
3) Brush chops with reduced marinade and oil. Salt.
4) Broil or grill chops about 3 inches from heat, brushing once or twice with marinade. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7 to 8 minutes for medium and 9 to 10 minutes for well done. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lamb Mini-Meatball Pita - Girlichef
Braised Lamb Shank - The Average Foodie
Rack of Lamb and Swedish New Year's Traditions - Delishhh
Grilled Lamb Chops - What's Cookin' Chicago?
Homemade Grilled Lamb Sausage - Hand's On Gourmet
Lamb and Carrot Tagine - Dinners and Dreams
Caprese Lamb Stacks - Simply Delicious
Turkish Lamb Burgers - Home Recipes

Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My family loves lamb in all its iterations, and while they're visiting we'll enjoy it several times. We were out for most of the day, so dinner had to be quick and light enough to overcome the damage done by a lunch of thickly battered fish and chips. Lamb chops are perfect for a quick, light meal. The chops I prepared are based on a dish that is served in the village of Las Pedroneras, which is considered to be the garlic capital of Spain. The recipe was originally developed by Janet Mendel for Food and Wine magazine, and she has given us a classic that I've made over and over again with slight variations. The chops cook very quickly, so it's best to have your sides ready to go before you begin to saute them. I served the chops with a lovely pilaf, that I'll be featuring later in the week, and with an Andalusian Salad that's made with oranges, avocados and almonds. It really was a satisfying dinner that had lovely color and variety of textures as well. While I should have made a flan to end the meal, I decided, instead, to serve a lovely lemon scented iced milk with berries and a wine sauce that been featured here before. The original recipe calls for thin loin chops, but I prefer to use double cut chops instead. Visiting family was made to be spoiled and if you're in for a penny, you may as well be in for a pound. Those who try these chops will love them. Here's how they're made.

Lamb Chops Sizzled with Garlic...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Janet Mendel

Ingredients:
8 double cut lamb loin chops, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or a pich of dried
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 small garlic cloves, halved
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1) Season lamb with salt and pepper and sprinkle lightly with thyme. In a very large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add lamb chops and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until chops are browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. If garlic looks like it might burn remove it from the pan. Turn over chops and garlic and cook until chops are browned, about 5 minutes longer for medium meat. Transfer chops to plates, leaving the garlic in the skillet.
2) Add wine, lemon juice, parsley and crushed red pepper to pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until sizzling, about 1 minute. Pour garlic and pan sauce over the lamb chops and serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Lamb and Cucumber Kebabs with Feta Sauce - Ladyberd's Kitchen
Lamb Keftedes - Edible Aria
Greek Lamb Burgers - Guilty Kitchen
Greek Roast Lamb with Potatoes with Feta - Authentic Greek Recipes
Grilled Lamb Kebabs Plus Tzatziki - Smitten Kitchen
Roasted Stuffed Lamb - Poppy Planet

Bierstube Pork Chops

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago there was a hideaway about a block from the steel mills in South Chicago. I'm speaking now of a time before we knew of women's liberation or political correctness, so I hope no one will be offended when I recount the place was called Fat Helens. Ironically, Helen was a tall, thin woman of Eastern European extraction. She ran the place with an iron fist, an even stronger will and a bouncer kept at the door to prevent any on her hit list from getting to the bar. You'd probably call it a tavern, but Helen also served food - some of the best in the city. Portions were huge. This was the local watering hole for millworkers and their families. They were a tightly knit community and folks were married and mourned in the huge room behind the restaurant. On weekends the place became a social club. Beer was served in huge steins and boiler makers seemed, always, to be the drink of the day. Regulars put their drinks on a running tab, important in those days before we even dreamed of credit cards. I saw my first real fight here, but, more importantly, I had my first taste of Eastern European cooking at the communal tables behind the bar. Now, I suspect you're curious as to how I ended up in a beer hall behind the steel mills. My mother sure was until we took her to dinner one night. Bob and I were first taken to Helens by a friend who was a language instructor at the university. It was so different from anything in my experience that I was fascinated by the place. It would be fair to say our first visit was borne of curiosity. All others, however, were triggered by the food. We also had the good fortune to attend an Oktoberfest at Helens. It remains the standard by which we judge such celebrations. Bierstube pork is an original recipe based on flavors and memories from long ago. The chops are easy to do, but they are brined prior to cooking so you'll need 6 to 8 hours of lead time. I serve these with caraway noodles and Ina Garten's Sauteed Cabbage. If you like hearty well-flavored food I think you'll like these pork chops.

Bierstube Pork Chops...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Brine
1 (12-oz.) bottle non-alcoholic amber ale (see Cooks Note Below)
1-1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Chops
4 bone-in pork chops, 1-1/4-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley

Directions:
1) To make brine: Combine beer, water, salt, brown sugar, vinegar, caraway seeds and pepper in a large bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour brine into a 1-gallon plastic bag with a zip lock. Add chops and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
2) Remove chops from brine, reserving brine. Pour brine into a 2-quart saucepan and boil 5 minutes to reduce by half. Set aside. Pat chops dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shake off excess. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper toweling. Add chops and sear over medium-high heat, turning once, until both sides are brown, about 3 minutes perside. Transfer to a plate.
3) Add onions to skillet chops cooked in. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup reserved brine and simmer, scraping bottom of pan, until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup. Add 1/2 cup water and capers. Return chops and bacon to pan, setting them among onions. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover pan and cook, at a simmer, for about 6 minutes. Turn chops, cook, covered for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until chops are firm to touch and barely pink inside (meat thermometer should read 145 to 155 degrees F.).
5) Transfer chops to a serving plate. Tent with foil. Add sour cream to pan liquid and simmer (do not boil) until sauce coats a spoon, about 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve chops topped with sauce and sprinkled with parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook' Note: Any beer can be used, but non-alcoholic beers impart flavor without bitterness. I use O'Doul's amber ale.