Monday, April 4, 2011

Pork Chops with Onion and Asparagus

I love a good pork chop, and Ryan has pretty much figured out the best way to make them! Season them with salt and pepper. Then sear them in a hot cast iron skillet on both sides. Finally, pop them in the oven for 10 or so minutes. Amazing! But since Ryan cooked this style for me last week, I thought I better change it up a bit this week. I went to delish.com to find a recipe, and I found Pork Chops with Onion Compote. I wanted to add some asparagus into the mix so below is my adjusted recipe.

Pork Chops with Onion and Asparagus 

4 T olive oil
1 medium onion (cut into 1/4 inch-thick rings)
2 pork chops (I used center-cut chops)
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 c. chardonnay
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces

Get out two skillets. I used the cast iron one for the pork chops and the non-stick one for the onions and asparagus. Heat two tablespoons oil in each pan on medium to medium-high heat. The non-stick skillet heats up faster than the cast iron; therefore, if using two non-stick skillets, start heating the one for the onions a couple minutes before starting the one for the pork chops.

After the oil has heated up in the non-stick skillet, add the onions to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add them to the cast iron skillet. Sear both sides, about four minutes on each side (if using thicker pork chops, you will want to sear them for longer). Remove the pan from the burner and cover with foil to let the meat finish cooking. If using a non-stick skillet, keep the pan on the burner, but reduce the heat and cover with a lid.

After the onions have sauted for 10 minutes, add the asparagus. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 2-3 minutes.

Place one pork chop on a plate and top with the onions and asparagus. Serve with the leftover chardonnay. Mmmm!