Pork Chops (No Applesauce)

This week marks two anniversaries: the first, and most significant, is the one year since the passing of my funny friend and brother-in-law Denni. The other, and certainly less important,  is the one year mark of my food blogging. Yet, one begot the other, so now they are forever entwined. Denni and I, as readers of Cooking with Alice know, had a running joke about pork chops and applesauce, which ironically, I don't particularly care for. So today, I share with you my favorite way to serve pork - thin boneless chops sauteed in butter with a red wine and rosemary pan gravy reduction. I got this recipe six or seven years ago from a magazine (I want to say it was Saveur, but I am not certain) while visiting my BFF Anne. It sounded delicious on paper, and is truly scrumptious on plate. The trick is to use very thin chops. If your Sam the Butcher doesn't have them, ask if he will slice regular boneless pork chops thin. And instead of apples, the sauce is enhanced with red grapes. I like to serve it with garlic mashed potatoes and truly savor every bite. I even like to lick the pan afterwards, it's just that good. I am sure if Denni were here, he would enjoy it too, sans the applesauce, of course.

The quintessential Brady Bunch episode entitled "The Personality Kid". When someone at a party actually tells Peter that he has no personality, he takes the dis to heart and begins searching for the "new" Peter Brady. The girls plot to make Peter feel better by complimenting and flattering him in an overt manner that any dummy could see through the transparent scheme. And of course once it is revealed, he feels even worse. (Meanwhile, Cindy and Bobby are on a home safety kick, forcing surprise fire drills). Mike and Carol tell him to stop feeling sorry for himself and improve his personality if he thinks it's so bad. Peter takes this advice to the extreme and begins adopting the personas of famous leading men, most noticeably, Humphrey Bogart. He then proceeds to talk like Bogie, and when he sees what they are having for dinner, he repeats that like Bogart too. "Pork chops and applesauce" over and over. This too fails and he resorts to a joke book to amp up his wow factor. Everyone in the house guffaws at his jokes, giving him a false sense of humor. He asks to have a party to try out his new act. Sadly, the kids at the party have heard them all before and Peter is even more deflated, as there is no punch in his line. A few of Peter's girl friends gather round him to convince him that he's anything but dull and things are finally looking up. Peter finds solace and popularity in his dullness and the girls who feel sorry for him. Here's looking at you, kid.

The Recipe:

1 butterfly chop per person, sliced thin (in case you didn't get the message above)
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
3 tblsp unsalted butter ( 1 + 2)
1 c seedless red grapes, cut in half
1/2 c red wine
1 tsp chopped rosemary (although, it is my favorite herb, so I often use more. I mean I LOVE rosemary)
1/4 c chicken broth

Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. heat 1 tblsp butter in a large pan over medium high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming, add the chops and sear until the edhges are browned and the middles are just beginning to brown (1 1/2 to 2 minutes). Flip and cook until just cooked through, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat until all pork is cooked and transferred. Add grapes, wine and rosemary(did I mention how much I love rosemary?) to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the pan with  a wooden spoon to incorporate the browned bits into the sauce. Boil until syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the juices from the pork plate and the broth and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, another 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add 2 tblsp butter. Swirl the butter around in the pan until melted. Serve the chops topped with the pan gravy. Savor and enjoy! Serves 4.

Blogger note: Thanks to my faithful readers, who in my two blogs combined have racked up almost 5,000 hits this year. For Denni, yesterday, today, and always....