Happy New Year--Pork Chops and a Kendall-Jackson Wine

We are a pork chop lovin' family, especially the really thick ones. They are easy to prepare, don't take long to cook, and they turn out juicy and delicious. I prefer grilling them on my Weber kettle, which is over twenty years old and no signs of rust, with charcoal ignited in a charcoal chimney. I'm a purist. I don't have a gas grill and I don't use the "squirty", liquid charcoal lighter (yuck!) which gives meat a greasy, horrible taste. Try a chimney once and you will never return to the liquid stuff.

But since it's a bit cold--about 24 degrees-- the Weber is not a good choice, so I turn to my well-seasoned iron skillet. I've had it for at least three decades.

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Season the chops with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat up the skillet. Pour enough olive oil in the pan to cover the bottom. Get it hot enough to sear the chops, about medium high. Place the chops in the skillet and brown on both sides.  This takes about three or four minutes with a well-prepared skillet.

Shift skillet to the oven after browning is completed and bake chops for twenty-two minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil for about five minutes to allow juices to recover in the meat. Then serve.

I suggest serving chops with a side of red potatoes  with butter and parsley and cabbage stir fried in grape seed oil with a double pinch of celery seed. 

Let's Not Forget the Wine.............

I suggest Kendall-Jackson's Avant 2012, a luscious red wine blend. It's rich and smooth, particularly if decanted for at least a half hour before drinking, that allows the wine to soften, creating a smoother finish. This sells for around $12-$13.

Ching, Ching!