I’ve had these nice grass-fed pork chops in my freezer for a few months now, but little interest in cooking them. I browsed recipes online a few times, but the online content seemed unfairly dominated by apples: roasted apples, apple glazes, apple salsas, apple chutneys, apple butters…
The pairing of pork and apples may be a tradition that dates back centuries, and a favourite for many, but it is important to remember that apples aren’t what they used to be.
In her book Eating on the Wild Side, Jo Robinson (2014) discusses a 2003 USDA survey in which the phytonutrient content of a variety of wild apple species were compared to modern varietals, and the difference is not inconsequential. In contrast to the Golden Delicious, wild species had as much as 100 times the phytonutrient content by weight. Some of the more recent varieties of apples, such as the Ginger Gold, had so few phytonutrients that it didn’t even register on the graph.
From “Eating on the Wild Side”, by Jo Robinson (2014)
At the same time, apples have gone from being tiny misshapen pockets of seeds and skin too bitter by far to be considered dessert, to giant perfectly-round spheres of sugar designed to look good on the shelves of the supermarket, and devoid of much of the medicinal benefits they once possessed. Michael Pollan documents the fascinating history of the apple in America and beyond, in tandem with the human obsession with sweetness and the rise of mass commerce in the Botany of Desire (2001).
It seems that by selecting apple varietals for sweetness, we “squandered a wealth of nutrients” (Robinson 2014: 454). And, no offense to apples, but I don’t need my perfectly tasty, high-quality chop to be drowned in sugar.
I opted instead for a savoury mix of mushrooms, rosemary, tomato and anchovy paste, with a touch of balsamic, topped with some delicious shavings of parmigiano-reggiano from my local cheesemongers.
Shallots, garlic, rosemary and parmigiano-reggiano shavings
Oyster mushrooms
Joëlle
Comfort food for fall! Pork chops nestled in a savoury mushroom and rosemary sauce and topped with parmesan shavings. Double the recipe and crack open a bottle of wine for a romantic weekend dinner.
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Ingredients
- 1 bone-in pork chop
- glug avocado oil (or other cooking fat)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- Himalayan Salt (or other good quality salt)
- 2 shallots
- 1 1/2 cups oyster mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp bone broth or water
- Chunk of parmigiano-reggiano, shaved
Instructions
- Take the pork chop out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking, to allow to warm up to room temperature. Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides.
- Prepare all of your ingredients, and preheat the oven to 350 F
- Heat a cast iron pan on high. Add a glug of avocado oil and sear your pork chop a few minutes on each side, starting with the fatty edge.
- Throw in your smashed garlic cloves and a few rosemary leaves and transfer the pan to oven, with a meat thermometer, if you have one.
- While the pork chop is cooking, heat another pan to medium heat. Add a glug of avocado oil, the shallots and a pinch of salt, and stir until the shallots are translucent and soft.
- Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender
- Remove the pork chop from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F and put it on a plate while you finish the sauce.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, tomato paste, anchovy paste, balsamic vinegar, butter and broth (or water) to the mushroom, stirring until the sauce is well combined, adding a bit more broth (or water) if the sauce seems too thick.
- Pour the sauce onto a plate and nestle the pork chop in the middle. Pour the remaining cooking oil from the cast iron pan over the pork and sprinkle rosemary leaves and parmesan shavings on top.
- Serve with a side of vegetables and a glass of wine!
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
References
Pollan, M. (2001). The botany of desire a plants-eye view of the world. Waterville, ME: G.K. Hall.
Robinson, J. (2014). Eating on the wild side: The missing link to optimum health. New York: Little, Brown and Company.
