Lemon Poppy Seed Pork Chops

My Lemon Poppy Seed Pork chops are savoury and sweet; today I am serving them with grilled strawberries and asparagus. I loved visiting with family, but I also love coming home to Southern Ontario.  It’s barbecue time and I want to try some new things on the grill.  Today’s recipe features the other white meat.

I like red wine and this dish pairs well with a light red from Italy : try Italian Dolcetto d’Alba from Piedmont with these Lemon Poppy Seed Pork Chops.  This wine had medium acidity, fruity flavour and few tannins.   I like to pair food and wines; sometimes it gets me into trouble with too much wine tasting.

Growing up as an immigrant there was no pairing; we had nonno’s standard wine that adorned every table.  We grew up drinking wine at the supper table; we all had our little glasses and it helped digestion.  To this day my brothers, sister and I are not big drinkers.  I do enjoy my wine.

As I choose the wine for this dish I remember how we had to call the homes of any of our friends who stayed for supper when we were growing up after one parent was upset that their child drank wine at our table.

From then on, we would always call and ask permission.  We didn’t get a lot of wine, maybe 1/4 of a cup, but to some people it was offensive.  You would be surprised at who is the biggest wine drinker in the world today https://www.movehub.com/blog/wine-consumption-worldwide-2017/

My vegetables today all come from the local markets here in Leamington, Ontario.  I toss the strawberries with a little canola oil and the same for the asparagus and add some spices.

The centre cut pork chops have marinated for a few hours; the yogurt dressing clings to them.

Everything on the barbecue looks so good.  See the grill marks on the strawberries.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Pork Chops

White meat on the grill.  

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The pork chops and marinade

• 4 large centre cut pork chops
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp poppy seed
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Strawberries and asparagus.

• 1 container strawberries
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tbsp italian seasoning
• balsamic glaze

Instructions

The pork chops and marinade

1. Mix all the ingredients and pour over the pork chops.

   Refrigerate in a large container for at least 4 hours.

   Shake the container a few times during the marinade process to evenly disperse dressing.

   
   

Strawberries and asparagus

1. Wash strawberries and asparagus.

   Let dry.

   Trim and clean asparagus.  Quick video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lymoBafFwso

   Pour marinade over straw berries and Asparagus.

   Toss to ensure each piece is covered.

   Let sit for 5 minutes.

   
   

   
   

Cooking

1. Make sure that the grill is hot.

   I cook at medium/low for the pork chops. This ensures that your chops won't burn or cause a fire.

   They were thick and did 4 minutes per side.

   I put the asparagus on a barbecue pan and put them on at the same time as the pork chops.

   Put the strawberries on one minute before everything is done.

   I used a store bought balsamic glaze to finish the dish.  

   
   

   
   

Porchetta,Carrots and Brussels Sprouts

Porchetta,Carrots and Brussels Sprouts reminds me of Sunday Supper at nonna’s house. It’s comfort food served on many Italian tables.  This dish is easy to make and everything is in one pan; Autumn is here and the house fills with many wonderful aromas again. It is a nice extra to serve with Turkey at Thanksgiving.  Growing up in an Italian home, we often had more than one meat at the table.  The left-overs make great sandwiches.

Carrots and brussels sprouts are a Fall favourite, but an anytime favourite at our house.  I put them in the bottom of the pan to caramelize.  To dress the Porchetta, I make a green sauce with parsley, olive oil and garlic. This tender, herbed packed piece of pork melts in your mouth and is definitely classed as a comfort food.  The best Porchetta I ever ate was in Florence at a little place called Lampredotto Icché Tu Mangi.  This is traditional Tuscan food cooked to perfection; the pork has a balsamic reduction that is delicious.  When in Florence, visit this little place.

The following article is a good read on the history: http://www.starchefs.com/cook/product/porchetta-roast-pork

I line my carrots up by slicing them in half and I use frozen Brussels sprouts.

The pork loin is lean and I spice it with Italian seasoning and black pepper corns. It’s ready for searing.

Once seared I place it on top of  the vegetables and add a cup of white wine. I make little pockets and place slices of garlic in them.

The porchetta sits on top of the rack of carrots.

Parsley,garlic and olive oil make a nice little sauce to pour over the roast.

Ready to serve.

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Porchetta on a rack of Carrots

This is a simple but heart-warming fall meal.  

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Porchetta on a rack of Carrots

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Roast

• 5 lb Pork Shoulder or pork loin
• 1 lb carrots
• 1 lb brussels sprouts
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 cup white wine

The Sauce

• 1 bunch parsley finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduction optional

Instructions

The Roast

1. Heat oven to 325 F.

   Make a rack out of the carrots using the centre of the pan.

   Toss in the brussels sprouts.

   Salt and pepper.

   Rub with the Italian seasoning, peppercorns and coarse salt.  

   In a  large frying pan place 2 tbsp of olive oil.

   Brown the Porchetta in the pan.

   Remove and make some slits in the porchetta and insert the sliced garlic.  

   Place on top of the carrots and pour all the juice from the pan over the roast and vegetable.

   Pour the white wine into the pan.

   Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven for one hour.

   Remove the foil and return to the oven for another hour.

   
   

The Sauce

1. Chop the parsley and then add the garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

To plate

1. Let the roast rest when it comes out of the oven.

   Slice nice thick slices.

   Plate and pour the sauce over the whole roast.

   Place the vegetables around the roast.  

Recipe Notes

Choose either meat, today I used pork loin.

The balsamic vinegar is optional, today I used Olive Oil.