sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup basil. Serve hot.
Pork Chop Siciliano
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Many old Sicilian recipes use vinegar as a seasoning, knowing that its acidity can perk up a sauce. This is another dish that we have featured on the menu since 1944. It was originally made with red wine vinegar, but we recently switched over to balsamic, and that little adjustment took a good thing and made it even better.
4 center-cut rib pork chops (12 to 14 ounces each), cut 1½ inches thick
4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup Chicken Stock or use reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth
½ cup Quick Brown Sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Brush the chops on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Place them in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast for 12 minutes. Turn the chops over and continue roasting until they are browned and an instant-read thermometer, inserted horizontally into the center of a chop, reads 145°F, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet and chops from the oven. Transfer the chops to a platter.
3. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic to the skillet and warm over medium heat, stirring often, just until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, brown sauce, basil, vinegar, and rosemary, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the pork chops, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the skillet. Simmer just to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes.
4. Place each pork chop on a dinner plate and spoon the sauce over the chops, dividing it evenly.
◆ Quick Brown Sauce ◆
MAKES ABOUT 1¾ CUPS
We use sauce in a few dishes for its flavor and to give body to a pan sauce. Classic brown sauce takes hours, but here’s a quick version that works very well. Use a high-quality canned or aseptically packaged broth. For the tomato paste, which is a coloring more than a flavoring, use the variety in a tube, which is convenient because you don’t have to open a whole can for half a teaspoon.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
One 13¾-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons dry white wine or dry vermouth
½ teaspoon tomato paste
Pinch of dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the broth, followed by the wine, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
2. Strain the sauce and discard the solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for 3 days. Or freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw before using.)
Pork Meat Loaves
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
My son Peter (who is an aspiring young chef) loves this meat loaf, which is in our rotation at home as one of our favorite dishes. It’s one of those recipes that I just make off the top of my head. Flavor-wise, it blows regular beef meat loaf out of the water. I shape it into two small loaves because they cook faster than a single big loaf.
Olive oil, as needed
½ cup finely chopped white onion
¼ cup plain dried bread crumbs, plus more as needed for the work surface
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 pounds ground pork
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
4 cups Tomato Sauce
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry white wine
1. Position a broiler rack about 8 inches from the heat source
Pork Chop Siciliano
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Many old Sicilian recipes use vinegar as a seasoning, knowing that its acidity can perk up a sauce. This is another dish that we have featured on the menu since 1944. It was originally made with red wine vinegar, but we recently switched over to balsamic, and that little adjustment took a good thing and made it even better.
4 center-cut rib pork chops (12 to 14 ounces each), cut 1½ inches thick
4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup Chicken Stock or use reduced-sodium store-bought chicken broth
½ cup Quick Brown Sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Brush the chops on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Place them in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast for 12 minutes. Turn the chops over and continue roasting until they are browned and an instant-read thermometer, inserted horizontally into the center of a chop, reads 145°F, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet and chops from the oven. Transfer the chops to a platter.
3. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic to the skillet and warm over medium heat, stirring often, just until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, brown sauce, basil, vinegar, and rosemary, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the pork chops, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover the skillet. Simmer just to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes.
4. Place each pork chop on a dinner plate and spoon the sauce over the chops, dividing it evenly.
◆ Quick Brown Sauce ◆
MAKES ABOUT 1¾ CUPS
We use sauce in a few dishes for its flavor and to give body to a pan sauce. Classic brown sauce takes hours, but here’s a quick version that works very well. Use a high-quality canned or aseptically packaged broth. For the tomato paste, which is a coloring more than a flavoring, use the variety in a tube, which is convenient because you don’t have to open a whole can for half a teaspoon.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
One 13¾-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons dry white wine or dry vermouth
½ teaspoon tomato paste
Pinch of dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the broth, followed by the wine, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened and slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
2. Strain the sauce and discard the solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for 3 days. Or freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw before using.)
Pork Meat Loaves
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
My son Peter (who is an aspiring young chef) loves this meat loaf, which is in our rotation at home as one of our favorite dishes. It’s one of those recipes that I just make off the top of my head. Flavor-wise, it blows regular beef meat loaf out of the water. I shape it into two small loaves because they cook faster than a single big loaf.
Olive oil, as needed
½ cup finely chopped white onion
¼ cup plain dried bread crumbs, plus more as needed for the work surface
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 pounds ground pork
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
4 cups Tomato Sauce
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry white wine
1. Position a broiler rack about 8 inches from the heat source
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