I was inspired to do something interesting with some pork loin chops I fried up last night. I had brought some apples to serve as a dessert (oh, us silly paleo types!), and at one point it hit me that the *best* sandwiches I ever had were at a Solidarity: a socialist, feminist, anti-racist organization event years ago, I think in So Cal: all of the sandwiches had an *amazing* meat and fruit combo, unfortunately I dont recall the company, nor the pairings--except for apple and ham ... why not cook with the same combo?! In short: get some good fat (bacon, grass-fed butter), fry some apple, remove, and then fry your pork that you fry at a low temp with rosmary and top with a slice of slightly cooked apple. Details: This was a meal for two, so adjust as necessary. I had cut the pork loin into about 1.25 chops. I then fried up four pieces of bacon in my trusty cast-iron skillet simply because, well ... why not cook pork in one of the tastiest forms of its fat?! Now, as the bacon is frying (I typically prefer my bacon just barely cooked; nice and soft, barely browned, but for this meal: crispy but not crunchy was perfect!), slice an apple (I used McIntosh ... hmm, Granny Smith would be really sick!) into about 1/8 slices ... except two slices that should be about 3/16 thick: set these thicker cuts aside--the ends I just eat as I cook ... as the chef, its your duty, damn it! You will then have a core with some good apple on the side; just slice whats left on the side of the core into four batons. Once the bacon is done, plate it and toss the apple slices into the glorious bacon grease! Fry them for about a minute on each side ... they may fall apart--whateves--the point is to impart some appleness to the bacon grease. Take the fried apple (its basically applesauce on crack, so it doesnt matter at all if they fall apart, just plop them into a nice corner ... sorry, but plating is not my forte, and I also have little--a little, not no!--interest in the visual aesthetic ... Im cooking; it goes in your mouth; meh!; eat and moan damn it!) and plate it with the bacon, the apple batons, and also some tomato slices that have been salted, peppered, covered with basil, and then had a nice pancake of fresh mozzarella plopped on it (I didnt do that this time ... just had some room temp string cheese on the side, but hey, it worked very well). Oh, and the tomato and apple should be chilled, and the mozzarella at room temp. Now ... take some fresh rosemary (how much? Stop asking questions ... as much as you can put and *leave* on the pork without being bitter: I hate waste: never use an ingredient that you have to throw out, end of conversation: not sorry) and sprinkle enough to comfortably coat one side of the pork loin chop and then right away toss the chop on top. As for cooking temp: starting out, get your skillet nice and smoky, then turn down to just below smoky just as you toss the bacon on, and then turn it down nice and low-med just a min or so before the bacon is ready. You want a little browning with the chop, but not much (I go with health first, and then make taste accommodate--yes, bacon grease is a superfood, so go wild! ... Okay, at least high quality, hormone, stress-free, etc. bacon. If it doesnt qualify, its still healthy--just drink it, your body will thank you). Put that 3/16 apple slice on top of the chop, and let it sit for about 5 min (assuming your heat is low enough). You better be using a digital thermometer, and you better not be overcooking your pork (trichinosis is pretty much nonexistent in the US pork supply, so stop worrying and eat better). Throw down another coating of rosemare and flip the chop onto it, and also keep the apple slice on top but flipped as well. Ideally you want to only flip it once, but just keep flipping every 5min or so (I havent found the sweet spot; let me know if you do!), until you get an internal temp of 140F. Now, take the skillet off the heat, flip the chops and apple slices, and *underneath* the apple slice, use a two-finger (a three-finger pinch may actually be best in retrospect) pinch of salt, and then pepper to preference. Throw the apple slice briefly into the grease, and then top. Let the chops rest for 5 or so minutes (I didnt bother to check, but I imagine the internal temp will be around 150F ... 160F is just insane, so stop it), plate with the salted side down, throwe in another pinch of salt, pepper to liking, and top with the apple slice. You now have heaven (period) To go further?! Fry up two to four eggs, easy over (very runny yolk!), and ... well, not sure, but on the side seems best. If they are pasture raised, a tiny dash of salt may be in order, but prob not; if they are regular eggs, some salt and pepper is essential. This entire meal would have been transformed from great to absolutely divine if I had used free range pork, free range and applewood smoked bacon, homegrown tomatoes, homegrown basil, Maldon or Himalayan pink salt, fresh cracked Lampong or Tallicherry black pepper, pasture raised eggs, farm fresh organic or homegrown apple, and fresh mozzarella. The fresh garden rosemary, quality-wise, was by far superior of the ingredients I used. Good god ... this is really a super simple recipe ... why did it take more than a paragraph to elaborate?! No pictures ... but really, whateves, just consume pure health, moan at the godly pleasure, and be done.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:28:08 +0000
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