This is Brunch Season.  I’ve prepared a recipe that showcases two Brunch stars:  Pork and Pancakes.  Enjoy this season of spring family time with fresh flavors!

Black Pepper Seared Sterling® Silver Pork Chops
Nueske’s® Applewood Smoked Bacon
& Zucchini Pancakes
Strawberry Maple Gastrique
Serves 4

Ingredients

4each 12oz.Sterling®Silver Special Reserve Pork Chops
Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste.
Salt to taste
8each Nueske’s Bacon slices
Fat reserved from cooking bacon
½Cup All Purpose flour
½t Baking powder
½t Salt
1t Cinnamon, ground
½t Cloves, ground
4T Fresh basil, chopped, divided use
2T Fresh parsley, chopped, divided use
2T fresh mint, chopped, divided use, reserve 4 nice sprigs for garnish
1each Egg
¼Cup Milk
2Cups Zucchini, grated
2each Scallions, sliced thin, 1” into green part
2T Canola oil
Reserved bacon fat
6C Strawberries, washed, stem removed, cut in ½. Reserve 4 for garnish,
1C Riesling or Balsamic Vinegar
Maple syrup to tast

 

Method

Gastrique

This will take a little while so you should start it first.

• Puree the strawberries and place in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
• Stir in the vinegar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring this to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Reduce this mixture by at least ½ or until it is syrupy.
• Add 2 table spoons of basil and 1 each of the mint and parsley combine well.
• Add maple syrup to taste.
• Reserve in a warm place.

Pork Chops

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Place a sauté pan over medium low heat that is large enough to hold all the chops easily or sauté in batches.
• Cook the bacon in the sauté pan until just crisp. Cook slowly so the pan doesn’t get too dark. Remove to paper towels. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to sear the pork chops. Rough chop the bacon when it cools. Set aside for the pancakes. 
• Season the pork chops on one side with salt and about ½ teaspoon of pepper per chop.
• Heat the bacon fat to medium high.
• Sear chops on both sides until browned, about 2 minute per side.
• Remove the chops to a sheet pan and place them into the oven. Cook until the internal temperature reads 130° on a meat thermometer or about 8 minutes.
• Let the chops rest at least ten minutes before serving.

Pancakes

You can do this while the chops are cooking and resting.

• Stir flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and the remaining fresh herbs together in a mixing bowl.
• In another bowl beat together the egg and milk. Add zucchini, bacon and scallions. Add this to the dry ingredients, stir well to combine.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium heat.
• Place the batter into the pan with a tablespoon making a few pancakes at a time. Cook about 2 minutes on each side. Serve right away.

Plating

• Place 2 pancakes in the middle of a dinner plate then push them up a little towards 12 o’clock if the plate were a clock.
• Lean pork chop, pepper side up, against the pancakes.
• Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the gastrique over everything.
• Garnish with a strawberry and a mint sprig.
• Enjoy!

From the kitchen of Jamie Samford
Corporate Chef of Winn Meat Company