Cooking for One: Pork Chops

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I mentioned here that I'd be working on a bunch of recipes for my friend Sara. She says it's cheaper for her to eat out more often than not, and I'm trying to convince her that with a few simple recipes she could make a bunch of stuff and recombine it all week to keep it interesting.

I'm not going to make her crazy or anything, just see if my theory is right: if you make (or buy) some good sauces and cook the basics for the dishes in advance, in bulk, you'll end up with enough variety in the end to not feel like you're eating the same leftovers again and again.

And, so, here is the first installment.

I started with a basic pork chop recipe. After I cooked it, I stored the chops in individual portions in the fridge in airtight containers. They should keep for a week this way, which means, Sara wouldn't have to eat

them several days in a row. I also made sure the herbs and flavors I used to season the chops would taste good with a variety of side-dishes. In reality, this recipe will work well with chicken, too (I don't eat lamb, but maybe it would taste good with that, too).

As we go through this experiment, it may turn out that cooking a quick piece of meat while putting together the rest of the meal might be the best way to go. My goal is for Sara to not have too much clean-up on her hands, and to keep it simple, she's a very busy lady. But, most of all I want her to enjoy what time she does have to spend in the kitchen to execute these meals.

I'll be posting the side dishes separately this week. If you'd like to see them posted with the main dish, drop me a line, I'd be happy to give that a go, too.

Pork Chops with Herbs de Provence and Honey

makes 2 chops

Ingredients:

  • 2 Pork Chops
  • 1 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • Salt and ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Honey

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Place a grill pan or skillet on the stove and turn the heat to high.
  • Place pork chops on waxed paper.
  • Coat with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle herbs de provence, salt and pepper over the chops.
  • Roll the chops in the olive oil to coat on both sides, distributing the herb mixture over the whole chop.
  • Put into the pan and sear for about 4 minutes.
  • Turn chops over and sear on the other side for another 4 minutes
  • Drizzle honey over the chops.
  • Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let the chops rest in the pan for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!