Fennel-Rubbed Pork Chops

These were two new dishes for us to make. I liked both of them. How can you resist charred Fennel-Rubbed Pork Chops? The Tomato and Pomegranate Salad was excellent. The salad is very crispy! I like the idea of using Pomegranate seeds in the salad. It gives the salad a whole different dimension. The pan I sautéed the Pork Chop in was a bitch to clean however!

Fennel-Rubbed Pork Chops for Two

Dining In

Alison Roman

Serves 2

1      tablespoon fennel seed

1      tablespoon light brown sugar

2      Teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

½     teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1      (1-1/2-inch-thick) bone-in pork chop (about 1-1/4 pounds)

1      tablespoon canola oil

1      fennel bulb, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

½     cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, and/or tarragon, tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped

1      tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Do Ahead:

The fennel seed mixture can be made 2 weeks ahead and stored at room temperature. It is also great on chicken.

These are thick, fancy, Saturday-night chops, not thin, pedestrian Tuesday-night chops (only in spirit—you can definitely make         them on a Tuesday). The type of pork (for example, Berkshire) will vary regionally, but the thickness here, at least 1-1/2 inches, is nonnegotiable. Larger chops, whether pork or steak, are fattier and richer in flavor than thinner chops and are also nearly impossible to overcook. Even while searing them for what feels like forever, watching the outside develop a too-good-to-be-true deeply golden brown crust, the inside miraculously remains that perfect shade of pink and juicy as hell.

You're not likely to find pork chops like this unless you go to the butcher (or butcher counter) and ask for them, but I have been surprised before. I know, it's an extra step—the butcher! What a hassle. But trust me, it's worth it and what makes these chops so dang special. I suggest going and getting a few and then freezing them for next time.

1.  Toast the fennel seed in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling the skillet, until the seed starts to smell fragrant and turn a light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and grind in a spice grinder, pound with a mortar and pestle, or finely chop with a knife.

2.  Combine the fennel seed with the brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and rub the mixture all over the pork chop. Cover and let it sit at east 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

3.  Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chop until it’s super browned and caramelized on one side, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the pork chop and add the sliced fennel to the skillet. Cook, stirring the fennel every so often, until it is tender and golden brown, but try not to disturb the pork chop. Cook until the deepest part of the pork chop registers 145°F on an instant- read thermometer, another 8 to 10 minutes (if you don't have a thermometer, you can cut off an end piece and check for proper pinkness). Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest a few minutes,

4.  Meanwhile, combine the herbs and lemon zest in a small bowl, and season with salt,

5.  Serve the sliced pork alongside the fennel and garlic with the herb mixture sprinkled on top.

Tomato and Pomegranate Salad
Plenty More
Yotam Ottolenghi

I rarely rave about my own recipes, but this is one I can just go on and on about It is the definition of freshness with its sweet-and-sour late-summer flavors, and it is also an utter delight to look at but the most incredible thing about it is that it uses a few ingredients that I have been lovingly cooking with for many years, and believed I knew everything there was to know about yet had never thought of mixing them in such a way. That is, until I traveled to Istanbul and came across a similar combination of fresh tomatoes and pomegranate seeds in a famous local kebab restaurant called Hamdi, right by the Spice Bazaar. It was a proper light-bulb moment when I realized how the two types of sweetness—the sharp, almost bitter sweetness of pomegranate and the savory, sunny sweetness of tomato—can complement each other so gloriously

I use four types of tomato here to make the salad more interesting visually and in flavor. You can easily use fewer, just as long as they are ripe and sweet.

SERVES FOUR

1-1/2  cups red cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1-1/2  cups yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/ dice

1-1/2  cups tiger or plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice

about 1 lb medium slicing tomatoes (about 5), cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)

1 small red onion, finely diced (rounded 1/4 cup)

2         cloves garlic, crushed

½        tsp ground allspice

2         tsp white wine vinegar

1-1/2  tbsp pomegranate molasses

¼        cup olive oil, plus extra to finish

1         xlarge pomegranate, seeds removed (1 cup

1         tbsp small oregano leaves salt

1.  Mix together all the tomatoes, the red pepper, and the onion in a large bowl and set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and a scant h teaspoon salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.

3.  Arrange the tomato mixture and its juices on a large, flat plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.