Sunday, March 31, 2013

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Curried Kumquat Chutney and Sauteed Kale


Another day, another experiment.  I have never tried cooking with kumquats before but I saw some at Fairway the other day and wanted to try them out.  The majority of the kumquat recipes I found were dessert recipes, but I really wanted to make something savory.  My Andrea Reusing cookbook has a recipe for duck breasts with kumquats, but since we had already made duck in the past few weeks I wanted to try something else.  I briefly considered making chicken instead, but we eat too much chicken.  When we went through the freezer to see what would work with the chutney I found some organic center-cut, bone-in duBreton pork chops that I had picked up awhile back.  We don't eat a lot of pork chops, but I do enjoy a good bone-in chop form time-to-time so I pick them up on occasion.  I'm not certain how long these pork chops were in the freezer, but it had been at least a few months.  Pork and bitter greens are a natural pairing (see the Baked Pork Chops with Swiss Chard for an example) so the red kale we already had in the fridge seemed like a good idea.  We made a really simple pan-roasted pork chop and a simple sauteed kale with pine nuts since the chutney sounded like it would be pretty flavorful and I didn't want the flavors of any of the dish's components to compete or conflict.

I think that the curried chutney worked really nicely with the pork chops and the kale.  I was really happy with this meal - happier than I have been with one of our experiments in awhile.  The pork chops were juicy and meaty and were a great blank canvas for the chutney.  The chutney was sweet and fragrant, with a very interesting flavor.  It was very different, but I could see using it in a number of different (savory) ways.  The recipe suggests pairing it with goat cheese, which I could totally see, as well as lamb or pork.  I'm not sure I would pair the chutney with lamb, but I could definitely see it with another cut of pork and chicken or turkey.  It is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so and I thought the sweetness and acidity with the meaty pork chop was really nice.  The kale was very simple but I thought it was also nice.  It was a good simple side that would pair nicely with a number of entrees.  I almost never use red kale because I have a mild obsession with lacinato kale (aka Tuscan kale), but I think it was really nice here.  This might be just the wake up call I needed to pick up a bunch or two of red kale more often.
Recipes after the jump!



Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Curried Kumquat Chutney and Sauteed Kale

INGREDIENTS:
2 (1 1/2-inch-thick) rib pork chops
1 tbsp evoo
2 bunches red kale, thick stems removed and coarsely chopped, rinsed and still damp 
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Curried Kumquat Chutney (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400°F.  
Pat chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet (or other heavy oven-safe skillet) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chops, about 3 minutes per side. 

Transfer skillet to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chops with tongs to a cutting board and cover chops loosely with foil to keep warm. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for three minutes.  Add garlic and saute until onion is soft and garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 additional minutes. Add half of kale, packing slightly. Cook until kale begins to wilt, tossing often, about 2 minutes. Add remaining kale. Toss until kale is just tender and still bright green, about 3 additional minutes. Add toasted pine nuts and toss to combine.  Season to taste with s&p.  

Serve pork chops topped with a spoonful of curried kumquat chutney over a bed of kale on a platter or individual serving dishes.  Serve with additional curried kumquat chutney to taste.


Curried Kumquat Chutney
October 2005

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced seeded kumquats (6 to 7 ounces), divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


Cook first 5 ingredients and 1 cup kumquats in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to scant 1 cup, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Chill until cold, then mix in remaining 1/3 cup kumquats and cilantro. Season chutney to taste with salt and pepper. Chill 1 hour.

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