ROSEMARY PORK CHOPS
It’s funny how family sayings get picked up by friends. When I was around ten and my sister was about five, we were acting up at the dinner table. My daddy had worked a long hard day, and when he couldn’t take another minute of our shenanigans, he pushed his chair back, folded his dinner napkin, and left the table. Totally unaffected by his frustration, my innocent little sister immediately piped up: “Can I have Daddy’s pork chop?” I’ve often told friends that funny tale over the years. Now when I serve pork chops and someone wants seconds they’ll chime in, “Can I have Daddy’s pork chop?”
Makes 4 servings
½ CUP PLUS 2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
⅓ CUP RED WINE VINEGAR
4 ROSEMARY SPRIGS, PLUS 1 TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH ROSEMARY
3 GARLIC CLOVES, SMASHED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
FOUR ½-INCH-THICK BONELESS PORK CHOPS
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, FOR DREDGING
1. Combine ½ cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, rosemary sprigs, garlic, and brown sugar in a large zip-top bag. Add the pork chops to the marinade and seal. Massage the chops in the bag to coat them well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to marinate.
2. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and pat them dry. (Discard the marinade.) Let the pork chops come to room temperature for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge them in flour.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork and panfry until they’re cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Sprinkle the remaining rosemary on top of the chops at the very end for more flavor.
SOUTHERN SIMPLE: If you’re in a time or ingredient pinch, replace the rosemary and garlic in the marinade with 1 tablespoon of pesto.
Speaking of my sis, she’s also my best girlfriend. With all the miles between us, we stay tightly connected. She’s Wonder Woman. She has four gorgeous girls, runs her own business—she’s a music therapist—and is a preacher’s wife! She had kiddos first, so I learned so much from her about being a working mom. We have too much fun together and are always up for an adventure, be it in the big city of New York, New York, or the tiny town of Hollywood, Georgia. She is incredibly supportive of me and keeps me grounded.
