Porchetta Pork Chops

- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2bone-in pork chops, 1¼ to 1½ inches thick
- 1teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus a pinch
- 1lemon
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2tablespoons chopped rosemary
- Large pinch red pepper flakes
- ½teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 2tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, more for garnish
- 2tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat pork chops dry and, using a very sharp paring knife, cut a large pocket into the fat-covered edge of each chop. Season chops all over with 1 teaspoon salt, including inside pockets.
- Step 2
Finely grate zest from lemon and put in a small bowl. Cut lemon lengthwise in quarters for serving.
- Step 3
Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife, mash garlic with a pinch of salt until you get a paste. Add to the bowl with the lemon zest and stir in rosemary, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, 2 tablespoons fennel fronds and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Step 4
Divide filling between pork chops, stuffing some inside pockets and rubbing the rest on the outside.
- Step 5
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear pork chops on one side for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Gently turn over chops and cook for another minute, then transfer skillet to oven. Cook until meat is just done, about 5 to 10 minutes longer (internal temperature should read 135 degrees on a meat thermometer). Transfer pork chops to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fennel fronds and lemon wedges.
Private Notes
Comments
We accompanied this with Mark Bittman's asparagus and mushrooms to great effect. I added a teaspoonful of Fallot dijon mustard and two diced anchovies to the filling. This added a tremendous depth of flavor to the filling. Also, I used a covered skillet in the oven and added a bit of white wine to keep the pork very moist. My guests raved.
This has become my default recipe when doing a mid-week pork chop or pork loin dinner. With pork loin I butterfly the meat, rub a light layer of garlic-herb paste on the cut side of the roast, then re-roll and tie with string. Rub remaining paste on the outside and roast until 135 degrees in the thickest section of roast. Delicious.
Great flavors and easy. But follow suggested cooking times closely. I was afraid the pork would be undercooked so cooked slightly longer in each stage, and they came out a little dry. Next time I'll follow the instructions exactly.
Absolutely incredible and so simple. I didn’t have any fresh fennel fronds, so I substituted fresh basil in the filling and sprinkled fennel pollen on the chops before serving. Served this with Melissa Clark’s Garlicky Swiss Chard. Great meal.
@aks Recipe assumes prep work is done, hence "garlic, minced," etc.
I made this exactly as it said and it was delicious! Pretty easy overall. I would just cut down on the salt when salting the meat before stuffing it. Big kudos from my hubby!