A Recipe To Love – Pork Chops with Green Olives and Lemons

Ingredients:

• 2 pork chops, on the bone
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup/175 ml white wine
• Skin 1 preserved lemon, chopped (I used the zest of 1 Lemon and that worked just fine)

• 1/2 cup/85 g green olives, with pits  (I used regular green olives, they worked great)
• Small handful chopped fresh rosemary or thyme ( I have now tried it both ways, each tastes great).
• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• Branch cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

Season the chops with salt and pepper. “Season” also with sugar, sprinkling judiciously over both sides of the chops, as if it were salt. Heat the oil in a saute pan and brown the chops on both sides. Pour over the wine, and add half the lemon and olives, along with the rosemary. Cover, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and test doneness. Boil down the liquid a little, if necessary, toss in the remaining olives and preserved lemon. Serve with the juices spooned over and a branch of roasted baby tomatoes on the side.

To roast a branch of cherry tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay the tomatoes on a baking sheet, dribble over a little olive oil, and bake at until the skins have wrinkled and the fruit is soft, 20 minutes to half an hour.

This is great if you are only cooking for 2 people, and easy to double if you are cooking for 4.  I could also see putting the pork chops over a bed of wild rice.  And that sauce?  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Hmmmmm……..so good.