Almond- and Espresso-Crusted Pork Chop with Chianti-Poached Pears
Almond- and Espresso-Crusted Pork Chop with Chianti-Poached Pears
45 Min
Prep Time
30 Min
Cook Time
5-7
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
Ever want to impress your dinner guests with a recipe that is a bit more involved? Maybe something that looks like a plate you would get in a nice restaurant? Try this Almond- and Espresso-Crusted Pork Chop inspired by a similar dish at one of our favorite Italian restaurants nearby.
While that sounds like a lot going on, in reality, it is pretty simple. The crust gets made in a food processor, just add the almonds, give it a whirl, then add the rest of the crust ingredients. The chops get coated with the blend, then browned in an iron skillet for a few minutes per side to brown. Once they have a good crust, just transfer the skillet to the oven for the pork to finish (wild pork should be cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees). While the chops cook, poach the sliced pears and dried cranberries in the wine.
To plate, simply place the finished chop on the plate, surround it with a bit of fresh arugula and a few pear slices. Sprinkle over some cranberries, some candied pecans {check the snack section of your grocery), a handful of crumbled gorgonzola and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar that has reduced to a syrup.
I've mentioned on here before that, when it comes to wild pigs for the table, I like them in the 75- to 125-pound range. A hog that size doesn't have a large traditional pork chop. To get around the small size, try cutting across both backstraps to make a double sided bone-in chop, or do what I did with this one, and bone out a whole ham then slice it into thick steaks.
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup roasted almonds, plain
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
3-5 pounds of wild pork chops or steaks
Toppings
2 cups Chianti wine
2 pears, peeled and sliced
½ cup dried cranberries
Fresh arugula
8 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
4 ounces candied or praline pecans
1 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced by 2/3s till thick and syrupy
Cooking Instructions
Begin by adding almonds to a food processor, pulse several times till almonds are chopped into a fine powder. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse several more times until everything is mixed well. Pour the crust mixture into a shallow pan or dish.
While the chops finish, heat the wine in a medium saucepan until it reaches a light boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the pears and cranberries. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. At the same time, in another saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar to a boil, reduce heat to a light boil and cook till reduced to a syrup, about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Plate the dish just before serving so that the sliced pears are still warm.
