Mediterranean Pork Chops
I'm not a big meat-eater. Don't get me wrong – I love it. Fried chicken, roast turkey, a good filet mignon...I'm drooling thinking about it all. But it's not that often that I actually cook meat at home! It started when I was living on my own and cooking just for myself, and couldn't be bothered to spend the money and time on it. Now, it's more of an active choice that Evan and I try to make! We're not vegetarians by any means, but we do limit the amount of meat we eat. And this means that when we do make a meal with meat, we want it to be good.
There are so many ways to make meat extra delicious, but one of my favorite ways to achieve that is by making a good sauce or gravy to go with it – even if it's just the pan drippings drizzled on top to add extra flavor and moisture. One way to mix this strategy up from time to time is by using a gremolata instead of a more traditional sauce! At its base, a gremolata is a mix of chopped fresh herbs (usually parsley), minced garlic, and lemon zest. It's a fresh, light way to add a lot of flavor. So I'm making a spin-off of a gremolata, using what I've already got on hand! And I just so happen to have some spare ingredients that add up to a Mediterranean variation.
The way I cook the pork chops in this recipe is the way I cook most meats that aren't a big cut. I like to do a quick sear on the stovetop before sending the meat into the oven to finish cooking (if needed). When cooking smaller pieces of meat like pork chops, this is a good way to keep as them from getting dry! It's not exactly typical, however, to send gremolata into the oven with the meat. I'm doing that here mainly to make the spinach extra tender and to bake the feta a little, but this isn't standard practice. Even if not traditional, it's definitely tasty!
MEDITERRANEAN PORK CHOPS
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (stovetop + oven)
Ingredients
1 T olive oil
2 bone-in pork chops
1 t Italian seasoning
¼ t paprika
1 clove garlic
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper
Gremolata:
1 clove garlic
½ cup fresh spinach
⅓ cup feta
½ t lemon zest
1 T olive oil
Directions
Drizzle an oven-safe skillet with olive oil, and heat on medium-high. Preheat the oven to 400F. While your skillet heats, mince your first clove of garlic, then rub your pork chops with the spices, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Prepare your gremolata. First, chop the spinach into small pieces. Mince the second clove of garlic. Then, in a small bowl, combine the spinach and garlic with your other gremolata ingredients, and gently stir so that it's well-combined.
When the skillet and oil have heated to medium-high heat, place the pork chops in the skillet, and cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Then, top each pork chop with the gremolata, and move the pan to the oven to cook for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F.
Happy Eating,
Natalie