Monday, March 11, 2013

Herb-and-Garlic-Crusted Pork Chops: "Why do they love the pig in Spain?"

Ok, so maybe "crusted" is a bit of a strong word.  There isn't a crust per se, but one could say that these Herb-and-Garlic-Crusted Pork Chops are encrusted with the sage, rosemary, and garlic.  That sounds pretty good right about now, right?  After we got a surprise foot of snow and you've had to shovel and you need to be fortified.  Or maybe you yourself didn't shovel, but you've had to slide around on the ice-strewn sidewalks of your neighborhood early in the morning, when it hasn't gotten warm enough to melt yet?  That's work.  Or maybe you don't have to deal with either of those things, but you were out at a show and had a late night and now you have to do laundry and clean the bathroom.  Whatever it is that's tiring you out all day, this pork chop will put you back on track.  Plus it's super easy, so you don't have to toil all day doing something and then also toil all evening in the kitchen.


For bonus points, its simple list of ingredients means that - as long as pork is on your approved foods list - this is going to work with a variety of dietary restrictions.  Nothing it includes is made up of other things; you can look at the ingredients list and know immediately that it's going to work (or not work, I suppose, but I think the people for whom it does not work, outside of vegetarians and people who keep kosher/halal, is a short list).  You've got pork chops, fresh herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, and oil to cook with, and that's it.  Presumably if olive oil is forbidden by your diet, you can use a different, permitted cooking oil - that's something you're no doubt already familiar with and know what you like to do to make up for the difference in flavour (I'd throw in more pepper, to make up for the pepperiness of the olive oil, but to each their own tastes).

And now, we will accessorize this dish with, sure, a salad or something, but also: rock and roll.  This selection also works for the Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Skillet I posted about last time, because that was a Spanish dish - I present to you Burn, Baby, Burn!! by The Dictators on Grooveshark - it may not be instantly obvious the point here, but if you listen to the song, and why wouldn't you, there's a line that asks "Why do they love the pig in Spain?" The answer being, presumably, because it's delicious in so many ways, or maybe that Spanish people know what's up.  Or maybe the answer is just that this is a Dictators song and if you don't recognize the overwhelming awesomeness of Handsome Dick Manitoba (and go to his bar the next time you're in New York), then I don't really know what I can do for you.  I guess the only thing I can really do at this point is give you the recipe for the Herb-and-Garlic-Crusted Pork Chops and just hope for the best.

No comments:

Post a Comment