Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce. (10/6/2009)

Isn’t it amazing how you can get on the computer and all of a sudden it’s three in the morning? You end up wide awake and the only thing on T.V. is an MTV episode of True Life, I’m in a Polyamorous Relationship. I can’t believe there is a P.C. term for an every night three-way. I also finally took the time to figure out how to disperse my images throughout the text. Finally. Lazy Carissa.
Tonight I cooked up something especially delicious. This recipe includes 2 of my three favorite foods- capers and fennel. (Nutella, my third, would have tasted a little strange on the pork…) As I was telling my friend Jon, capers are like a little taste bomb exploding in your mouth! After trying them for the first time I found myself looking for ways to use them in everything I could. When getting dinner together tonight I made the rookie mistake of not checking the cooking time for the brown rice, and starting it about 20 minutes late. Everything still turned out delicious, and the pork stayed moist waiting for the rice to catch up. Few.


For this recipe you will need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 boneless (2-inch-thick) pork chops (about 2 pounds total)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning meat
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat
- 2 fennel bulbs with fronds, thinly sliced (about 8 ounces or 2 cups)
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 cup
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 2 tablespoons capers

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside. Add the fennel, shallots, and 1/3 cup parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the pork back into the pan, nestling the chops between the fennel and tomatoes so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices. Cook until the fennel is tender and the pork is done, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup parsley, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.Like I mentioned above, I served the pork with brown rice and it was really tasty. The last time I made it we had it with mashed potatoes, but tonight I thought I would keep it a little healthier and easier. (Obviously the easy part was what really mattered – since when do I care about healthy? Never.)