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Pork chops

January 23, 2010 in pork by Ted Major

Not pork chops & applesauce, just pork chops. Some times, you just want a tasty, simple pork chop.

  • Thick cut pork loin chops (3/4″ to 1″ thick)
  • Kosher salt (or coarse sea alt if you want to be fancy about it)
  • olive oil
  • White wine

Brine the chops if you have time; otherwise sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and let rest 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat, then add olive oil. Add chops, and leave them until browned, then turn and reduce heat to medium. When the second side starts to brown, add white wine about half way up the chops and cover the skillet. Braise until done to your liking.

Remove the chops to a cutting board and cover with foil. Raise heat to high, and cook wine to a syrup (add any juices that collect on the cutting board as you cook down the sauce).

Slice the chops and top with sauce.


Greek Salad Pitas

November 29, 2009 in Greek, beef, feta, lemon, pita, pork, salad, sandwich, steak, vegetables, yogurt by Ted Major

I’ve only had a very few outstanding sandwiches in my life–the Vietnamese grilled pork on baguette at Pho Que Huong on Green Springs, and the Cuban steak sandwich from Little Miami in Lake City, Florida–and this is one of them. The combination of fresh bread, salad, yogurt, feta, and meat is sublime. As an added bonus, the leftover spread can be thinned with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and some lemon juice to make a great salad dressing for the remaining romaine and feta.

For the spread:

  • ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (4 ounces)
  • 3 heaping Tbs Greek-style yogurt
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the sandwich:

  • 4 pita breads
  • 4 large leaves romaine lettuce, torn in half
  • 1 cucumber, sliced into half moons
  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarse chiffonade
  • Sliced meat (we used steak, but grilled pork would also be good)

Combine all spread ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and mix with a fork. In each pita, put a schmear of spread, then add a couple of slices of meat, some cucumber, mint, and a lettuce leaf. Yum! (I’ve read that a couple of slices of tomato and red onion make a fine vegetarian version, but haven’t confirmed.)