Pork Chops Jubilee Style

Pork Chops with Rich Caper Sauce is magnifico! This recipe from the amazing cookbook "Jubilee" is intended for bone-in pork chops, but when I made it I only had thin boneless cutlets on hand. The dish worked beautifully with the thinner cut of meat. I just skipped placing the pork chops in the oven. 

This cookbook is such a treat. It focuses on the history and impact of the African-American community on the cuisine of the United States. I'm so glad to add this book to my collection and I look forward to cooking more from it.

This dish was enjoyed by my family. I will definitely try it again! The sauce is very flavorful.

It's a good plan to prep the sauce ingredients before cooking:

I also like to line up the chops and season them like so:

Be sure to cook in batches so that the meat browns nicely:

Pork Chops with Rich Caper Sauce

Serves 4

From "Jubilee" by Toni Tipton-Martin

4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each)

1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste

1/4 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 tsp. minced garlic

1Tbsp. minced shallot

1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp. capers, drained

1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (optional)

2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the chops on a board and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper and thyme, rubbing with your fingers to press the seasonings into the meat. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the chops registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 to 7 minutes, depending upon the thickness. Remove the chops from the oven, transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm. Drain off and discard the fat.

3. In the same skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter until sizzling. Add the garlic and the shallot and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more. Whisk in the wine and the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce (if using), and parsley and simmer 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter to the pan 1/2 Tbsp. at a time, shaking the pan between additions until the butter melts and the sauce looks smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the pan-roasted chops and serve. 

Please note: The Jersey Girl made this dish with thin boneless pork cutlets. Cutlets cooked 2-3 minutes per side. If using cutlets, you may omit transferring the skillet to the oven to further roast the meat. Cutlets may be set aside, covered, while you make the sauce. 

Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomatoes and Mascarpone

On paper, this may seem like an odd mix. But in the finished dish, it is magic.

Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomatoes and Mascarpone comes together in mere minutes, and it uses staples from the pantry with some fresh grape tomatoes, flat leaf parsley and mascarpone thrown in.  I was thrilled to use up some of the dry vermouth that has been in my bar cabinet for a good 10 years.

If you have a fear of anchovies, I recommend you get over it. They really are a flavor enhancer in this dish. They just add that little salty spark that is oh so good.

This recipe comes from my fave Nigella Lawson. I hope you love it!

Here you go:

Gemelli with Anchovies, Tomatoes and Mascarpone

Serves 2

From "At my Table"

By Nigella Lawson

Gemelli pasta, 6 ounces

Salt for pasta water

1 Tbsp. olive oil

6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

6 ounces (1 cup) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup dry white vermouth

2 Tbsp. mascarpone cheese

1 Tbsp. plus more to serve Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus more to serve

1. Put a saucepan of water on to boil for the pasta. (Although you don't need to start cooking your sauce until the pasta is in, I'd get everything ready for it while you wait.) Once it comes to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Check the pasta package for the advised cooking times, but do start tasting a good 2 minutes before you're told it should be ready.

2. Once the pasta is in, put the oil and the finely chopped anchovies into a heavy-based wok or, or other capacious pan, and cook, stirring over medium heat for about a minute, or until the anchovies have almost dissolved into the oil. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then turn up the heat a little and tumble in the tomatoes, stirring them gently for about 2 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften.

3. Pour in the vermouth, let it bubble up, then stir and push the tomatoes about in the pan for around another 2 minutes or until they have broken down a little in the thickened, reduced, now orange-tinted liquid. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the mascarpone and, when it's all melted into the sauce, duly stir in the Parmesan and parsley.

4. Before you drain the pasta, lower in a cup to remove some of the cooking water. Or use a mesh ladle or pasta claw to transfer the gemelli directly. Add a Tbsp. or so or the cooking water to the pasta sauce; this will help the sauce coat the pasta. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss well to mix, adding more of the pasta cooking water if needed. Sprinkle with a little parsley and take the Parmesan to the table to serve.