Pan fried pork with tomato risotto
While driving home tonight I was a little bummed because I thought that we would have a boring dinner. I had 2 boneless pork chops in the fridge and I knew that we needed to do something with them tonight. Tommy suggested making a small serving of risotto to serve with the pork. So we gathered anything that we had here to make up our risotto ingredients. I picked out a simple recipe of pan-fried pork chops and modified it to accommodate the ingredients that we had. The pork turned out most excellent (I thought it would be boring and tasteless), and the risotto was a perfect complement to the pork. I heavily salted/peppered the pork and I think that that was part of what made the pork so tasty. I also got my pan temperature just right before starting (I typically get the oil too hot and then burn the first batch, but I didn’t have more than one batch tonight, so getting it just right the first time was of MUCHO importance). Tommy made the risotto, and although it varied slightly from our normal way of making risotto, it turned out pretty good.
Pan Fried Boneless Pork Chops
Serves 2
3 tbsp olive oil
4 small boneless pork chops 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (I bought two thick chops and cut them in half)
Generous pinches of kosher salt
Pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko
Heat a pan with oil on medium heat. Put the cheese, eggs, and panko in three separate bowls. Generously salt and pepper the pork. Coat the pork in the parmesan cheese, ensuring good coating all around. Dip pork in egg and coat on both sides. Coat pork with the panko, ensuring good coating of the panko. Put in pan with the heated oil and fry on one side for 5-6 minutes. Turn over and fry for another 5-6 minutes or until middle of pork registers at 150 degrees (I did 5 minutes on each side and I also turned down the heat to medium low once I put the pork in the pan, time might vary based on pan and heat).
Tomato Risotto
Serves 2
1 tbsp butter
2 pearl onions (can substitute regular onion or shallot, whatever you have)
1/2 cup arborio rice
2/3 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth (ours was low sodium, left over from the Melanie’s polenta that we made)
4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes (do not let them turn brown). Add rice and heat until toasted. Add wine, stir, and let wine absorb into rice. When wine gets low, start adding stock about 2/3 cup at a time, letting each addition get absorbed before adding more. Continue until rice is a good eating consistency. Add tomatoes and last addition of stock. When finished, add remaining 1/2 tbsp butter and cheese. Serve immediately.