White Balsamic Pork CHops with Roasted Potatoes and Peas
By: Giangi Townsend
Published: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - 5:59am

Ingredients




FOR THE PORK:
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon oil
¼ white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon white balsamic reduction
3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped to mince
1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
4 ½ inch thick boneless pork chops
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
FOR THE PEAS AND POTATOES:
4 slices thick cut bacon, cut crosswise into ¼ inch strips
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into large dices
1 ¾ cup thawed pearl onions
1 cup thawed frozen peas
½ fresh minced thyme
Salt and pepper

Preparation

1 Position the rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375º. 2 Place over medium high heat, a large 12” ovenproof skillet. Add 1 tablespoon water to the skillet and the bacon. When the water is evaporated, stir constantly until the bacon is crisp. With a slotted spoon remove the bacon and place on paper towel to drain. Reserve the fat in the skillet. 3 Heat the reserved fat in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the potatoes in a single layer and cook for 1 minute. Stir the potatoes once and then add the onions and the bacon. Cook for another minute. Stir to coat the onions and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. 4 Stir in the peas and thyme and stir together.  Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. 5 Meanwhile marinate the pork  chops by whisking together the ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, white balsamic reduction, garlic, rosemary and ¼ cup oil.  Place the pork chops in a glass or ceramic dish wide enough to fit all the pork chops side by side. Pour over the vinegar mixture. Coat the chops well and leave to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. 6 Remove the chops from the marinate and reserve the marinate. Pat dry the pork chops and season with salt and pepper on each side. 7 Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chops on a single layer and cook. Turn once until browned on both sides. About 6 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover to keep warm. 8 Discard any oil remaining in the skillet. 9 Add the marinate to the skillet and bring to t a boil.  Boil for 1 minute. Add any juices from the pork. Whisk in the butter season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the pork chops. 10 Serve alongside the potatoes and peas.

About

Something new from my kitchen last night.  The following recipe is an adapted recipe from Fine Cooking magazine. The recipe may look long, but actually it is very easy and simple. Just start by making the potatoes.  While the potatoes are in the oven cooking, the meat can marinate. The pork chops will take less than 10 minutes to prepare, so when you add the peas to the potatoes, you can start cooking the chops. When the pork chops are cooked the potatoes will be done also. 
I always purchase my chops from Pete at Personal Gourmet Foods, always tender.