Garlicky Pork Chops With Roasted Sunchokes
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Tip: If you remember, rub the chops with the garlic mixture in the morning and let them marinate in the fridge all day before you cook them.
Tip: The preserved lemons need to rest in the fridge for at least a month, but the longer you keep them after that, the better the flavor.
Garlicky Pork Chops With Roasted Sunchokes
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
40
minutes
Servings
4
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
- 1/2 cup sliced pitted green olives
- 3 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium garlic cloves
- 4 bone-in 1-inch-thick pork chops (8 to 9 ounces each, see Tip)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 3 Meyer lemons
- Kosher salt and sea salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
Directions
- :::lemons:::
- Slice one eighth of the stem end off 1 lemon. Starting from the cut end, slice the lemon in half, stopping about ¼ inch from the bottom. Cut another slice perpendicular to the first cut. Repeat with the other 2 lemons.
- Unfold each lemon and sprinkle salt generously on all of the cut sides. Sprinkle some salt into the bottom of a 1-pint jar and add the coriander seeds, if using. Add 1 lemon to the jar, cut (stem) end down, and press it well, squeezing out some of the juice. Tuck the bay leaf, if using, next to the lemon. Add the remaining 2 lemons in the same way.
- The juice should reach to about ½ inch below the top of the jar and should submerge all of the fruit. If it doesn’t, add the juice of 1 or 2 more lemons. Refrigerate the covered jar for at least 1 month, shaking it occasionally throughout the first week.
- :::pork chops:::
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a 9 × 13-inch baking pan, toss together the sunchokes, olives, preserved lemon, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until the sunchokes are tender and browned in spots, tossing halfway through, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, using the flat side of a chef’s knife or a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with some salt until you have a paste. Combine the garlic paste with the 2 teaspoons olive oil. Rub the garlic mixture all over the pork chops and set them on a plate. (You can do this step ahead of time to let the flavor penetrate.)
- Transfer the sunchoke mixture to a serving platter, toss with the parsley, and keep warm.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chops with a bit more salt and pepper, and add them to the skillet. Cook the chops, adjusting the heat as necessary, until they are well browned on both sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total. A thermometer inserted into the center should read 145°F. (I like my pork chops with a slightly rosy center, but you can cook them longer if you like.) Let the chops rest for a few minutes before serving with the vegetables.