Tuscan Pork Chops

The lemon makes these pork chops amazing.   It doesn't make an appearance until the very end and could be easily forgotten, but don't, because it brings the herbs and garlic and charri-ness to life.  

I asked John to train me on the grill again.   Again.

"Are you paying attention this time?"

"Yes, I swear, I'll remember."

"So turn this and then turn this and then turn that and then push this and then step back."

"Okay.   Got it."

"Then let it heat up a bit and go to town."

"Easy.  I have this.   You go sit inside and relax.   I will make dinner on the grill."

(A proud moment.)  

I put on the random assortment of veggie kabobs.  I purposely didn't put things in order.  A couple of mushrooms here, some random tomatoes there, a red onion cap on a bald mushroom.   I'm in charge tonight.  

Grilling is fun.

I put on the sweet potatoes.   Our fourth food group.

And then I put on these gorgeous pork chops which had been bathing in a marinade of garlic and lots of herbs and olive oil.     Tuscan-like, I think.

I fended off the bugs attacking me on the deck and peaked inside periodically.

When they were done, they looked like this.

The turning-on-the-grill instructions may have gone in one ear and out the other (sorry John), but I did write down this recipe.   I hope you will try it.   We both said that it was the best we'd had in a long time.   Way better (and less expensive) than any restaurant.  

(Am I the only one who can never remember how to start the grill?)

Tuscan Pork Chops
serves 2

Ingredients
2 bone-in pork chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, halved
salt and pepper

Preparation
Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.   Let sit out at room temperature while you prepare the marinade.

Combine olive oil, vinegar, sage, rosemary and garlic.    Pour over pork chops and marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill to medium high (hopefully you already know how to do this!).  

Place pork chops on grill.   Grill about 5 minutes on the first side.   Flip and grill the second side for another 4 minutes.   (Note - your grilling times may vary.   This timing worked really well for us.)

Let the pork chops rest for a minute or two and then liberally sprinkle each piece with juice of half a lemon.  

Can Meat and Potatoes Be Intense?

I am really not a meat and potatoes girl.   For reasons described here earlier though, I decided it was time for a little weekend indulgence.    Warning, what is about to follow is intense.  

Funny thing about the word 'intense'.   Our sommelier in Paris took a particular liking to it, describing his keen fascination with America's over usage of the word "intense" to describe absolutely everything.
Think about it.   It is actually quite funny.

Found this definition in the Merriam Webster dictionary:

• 1a existing in the extreme degree
• 1b having or showing characteristic in extreme degree

• 2 marked by or expressive of great zeal, energy, determination or concentration

• 3a exhibiting strong feeling or earnestness of purpose
• 3b deeply felt

So, in honor of Olivier, my question for you is, can meat and potatoes truly be described as intense?

We thought so, but will let you be the judge.   Our menu tonight comes from Epicurious and The Pioneer Woman.    I made only minor modifications to the recipes, so in this case, going to give credit where credit is due and refer you to the originals if you'd like to try these yourself.  

Grilled Porterhouse Steak with Paprika Parmesan Butter

Notes:    We made this with a sirloin and a ribeye instead.   Turned out perfectly.   Most importantly though, if you make this recipe, whatever you do, you need to drastically reduce the salt.    The recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of salt in the marinade.  I used 1 Teaspoon and we still found it salty.   Other than that, this was a fabulous marinade and coupled with the smokey paprika butter, which we loved, resulted in a very 'intense' piece of meat.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Notes:    I actually make these all the time.   The recipe is super easy and always results in excellent potatoes that are crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle with just the right amount of seasoning.   I used fresh rosemary and thyme for herbs.    Soooooo good.

Served with grilled asparagus that got a tiny bit overdone on the grill but was the perfect companion for this meal.   Maybe if I had been watching the grill instead of trying to take pictures of it, we might have avoided this situation.

All in all, a success.   Just what the doctor ordered.    With that said, my fiance, who actually is a doctor, wanted me to remind everyone that this is definitely one of those things that falls into the "all things in moderation" category.  I don't know about you, but it is probably safe to say that the melting slab of paprika Parmesan butter on the ribeye should be reserved for special occasions (or maybe those requiring "just a little bit of intensity").    

Perhaps the upcoming Labor Day weekend?

Happy Grilling!  

Zucchini Prelude

Zucchini is one of those words I just never feel like I spell right.     Is it the double cc's?  The silent h?    It has a nice ring to it though... a little Italian I think.  

My date night in Paris had me thinking.   It may have been the steak frites, but I started thinking that in my wedding preparation zealousness, I may be depriving my little household of iron in the form of meat.   Red meat.  

My fascination with quinoa, barley and all other kinds of whole grain goodies has me delving pretty heavily into the world of vegetarianism again.    I have gone through several phases of this in my life, the current entry prompted by a recent study of Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" which, as far as I'm concerned, should be required reading.    I am not 100% ready to make the full switch yet, but I like to think I've been practicing for the good of our health.

As a result, things like steak are typically reserved for date night.   In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that on any given night out, my fiance will order something involving red meat.  

So, between the reflecting on the fantastic steak frites in Paris, the need for a date night of the at home variety and the end of summer approaching, I decided it was time to indulge in one last summer steak.  

But first, we must get our veggies in.  

The prelude to our fabulous steak dinner, which is coming, I promise, was a simple vegetarian first course built upon, you guessed it, zucchini.   Zucchini.   (I just like saying that).

This one's easy, fun to assemble, colorful, light and fresh and makes for a fabulous first course, perfect for preparing one's palate for the totally indulgent and mouthwatering steak to follow.    

Zucchini Garlic Herb Cheese and Roasted Tomato Roll-Ups
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
2 medium size zucchini
1 cup grape tomatoes
Garlic Herb Cheese Spread (I used the light version of Alouette)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Start first by roasting the tomatoes.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Rinse, dry and add whole grape tomatoes to an oven proof dish.   Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Roll the tomatoes around in the dish to cover them.      Roast in oven for 45 minutes to an hour.     Remove from oven and cool.

Tomatoes (pre-roasting)

While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the zucchini.   Slice both ends of zucchini.   Standing upright, slice zucchini lengthwise into 4 or 5 long slices that would be suitable for rolling.   Drizzle lightly with olive oil.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Set aside.

Prepare your grill.   I used an indoor grill pan for these and it worked perfectly.    Heat to high temperature.   When ready, grill zucchini slices, 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on thickness).    Remove from grill.   Set aside and let cool.

Zucchini (post-grilling)

When zucchini and tomatoes have cooled, it is time to start assembly.    Lay one zucchini slice flat and spread with a thin layer of garlic herb cheese.    Drop one tomato at the top of slice and begin rolling, tucking in a tomato every layer or so.     Continue with each zucchini slice until all have been rolled.   Set aside until ready to serve.    

Ta-Da!  (easy!)

Stay tuned for the meat and potatoes portion of this delicious date night (at home)!