Preparing, planting, watering, and weeding my garden make up the bulk of the work involved in growing my family’s own food, but true panic sets in when I go out to harvest and think “Oh my gosh, what in the world am I going to do with 5 pounds of kale?” This year I got smart – I’ve been reading recipes all summer in anticipation of the abundance of ripe goodness to come. I’ve decided to share some of my favorite recipes periodically on this blog as we prepare and devour them, but only the good ones of course.
Yesterday I harvested our first tomatillos in 105 degree heat (no wonder they were so plump and juicy!). Last year I had no clue what to do with that exotic vegetable but my friend Karen shared with me a recipe then that I have been waiting, no, salivating to recreate this summer. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Pork Chops with Fire-Roasted Tomatillo Sauce.
For the meat:
- 2 T kosher salt
- 2 t ground cumin
- 1/2 t cayenne pepper
- 4 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick
For the sauce:
- 8 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 poblano chile (I used 2 jalapenos since that’s what we had in the garden)
- 2 slices bacon
- 2 t minced garlic
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
- 1/2 t brown sugar
- 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1/4 t black pepper
- Olive oil for brushing pork chops
Brine the meat in a mixture of salt, cumin and cayenne with 2 cups water. Cover and refrigerate for 45-60 minutes.
To make the sauce, grill the tomatillos directly over medium heat, turning occasionally, until blistered and soft, 6-8 minutes. Grill the chile directly over medium heat, turning occasionally, until blistered but still holding its shape, 6-8 minutes. When the chile is cool enough to handle remove and discard skin, stem and seeds. (Side note: I did all the roasting under the broiler on high rather than on the grill).
In a medium saute pan, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add the garlic and onion to the fat remaining in the pan and cook over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from the heat.
In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatillos and chile. Add bacon, garlic-onion mixture, cilantro, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Transfer to a medium saute pan over low heat and bring to a simmer. If the sauce seems too thick stir in 2-3 T water. Keep warm over low heat.
Remove the pork chops from the brine, pat with paper towel, and lightly brush both sides with olive oil. Grill the pork chops directly over medium heat, turning once, until barely pink in the center, 9-11 minutes total.
Serve the pork chops warm with the scrumptious tomatillo sauce!
How do you use up your tomatillos? I need more ideas as the bulk of the harvest is still to come!
Beth
