Fast & Fabulous: Provençal Pork Chops & a Red Côtes du Rhône!

“If I had to narrow my choice of meats down to one for the rest of my life, I am quite certain that meat would be pork.” – James Beard

I couldn’t agree more with the fabulous James Beard and I especially love cooking pork in the Fall. This “other white meat” is the perfect transition between Summer and Winter and its versatility makes it so much fun to pair with wine too!

In keeping with that sentiment, this installment of “Fast & Fabulous” features Provençal Pork Chops, a recipe that combines the classic flavors of Provence with succulent, pan-seared pork chops. As with all of my Fast & Fabulous recipes, this dish can be prepared in well under an hour and also includes a wine pairing to further enhance your enjoyment.

Being a total carnivore, I usually like to use “bone-in” chops for most recipes. For this one, however, I think a boneless pork chop works best. The mouth-watering sauce keep the chops succulent and juicy and they also make a prettier presentation. The type of pork chop YOU choose to use in this or any other recipe should basically come down to personal preference though but there are quite a few to pick from.

Pork loin chops are cut from the center of the loin, the strip of meat that runs from the pig’s hip to shoulder, and consist of a small portion of the tenderloin separated from the loin by a T-shaped bone. Pork rib chops don’t contain any of the tenderloin and are taken from the area closest to the rib so the bone is off to one side. Boneless pork chops are cut from the area above the loin chops and the thickness of all of these types of chops ranges from about half an inch to 2 inches.

Regardless of which type you choose, two important factors will affect how you cook your chops: (1) how thick the chops are, and (2) if they are “bone-in” or “boneless.” The thicker the chop the longer it will take to cook, and bone-in chops will also take longer to cook than boneless ones. So to avoid over or under cooking, please be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly.

This recipe also calls for Herbes de Provence, a delightfully fragrant and flavorful mixture of dried herbs indigenous to the eponymous province in southeast France. The mixture typically includes rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory and lavender and is often sold in traditional Provençal clay jars. Herbes de Provence makes an excellent seasoning for chicken, fish or pork and works deliciously well with the flavors in this dish.

A quarter cup of dry red wine really adds nice depth of flavor to the sauce along with the flavorful caramelized onions. And don’t worry about opening another bottle or looking for one of those dreaded “cooking wines,” just use the wine you plan on drinking with your meal to make this recipe. Since the one recommended here is so affordable you don’t have to feel guilty for adding it to the pan.

I like to serve these succulent Provençal Pork Chops over a bed of pearled cous cous and baby spinach to catch all the delicious, savory sauce. This recipe also pairs perfectly with a bold, juicy red wine from the South of France like the Chateau de Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône ($15). This medium-bodied wine from the Rhône Valley is made from 100% Syrah and has plenty of personality at a VERY affordable price.

I hope you enjoy this delightful recipe for Provençal Pork Chops as much as we do! And if you have a favorite “transition dish” you like to enjoy during the Fall, between the Summer and Winter months, I’d love to hear about it. Please let me know in the Comments section below.

Cheers,

Categories: Blog, Recipes, Uncategorized, Wine

Tags: herbes de Provence, James Beard, lavender, Pork Chops, provencal pork chops, Red Wine, rosemary, St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone, syrah

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