Meh

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Kale-Walnut Saute with Pan-Roasted Pork Chops.

4 bone-in pork chops
1/4 cup olive oil
2 bunches kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced (Ha! I used... more.)
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 jalapeno, chopped
3/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 cups pomegranate seeds
3 green onions

Heat oven to 325. Bring a medium ldded pot of salted water to a boil. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.

Heat half of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When simmering, add chops. Sear until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Transfer pan to oven and cook until pork is 150 degrees, 10-15 minutes. Remove and let rest, covered with foil, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add kale to the boiling water and cover. Blanch 2 minutes. Strain and toss dry. Wipe pot clean. Set pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil, garlic, and onions. Saute 6 minutes until onions lightly caramelize. Stir in walnuts and jalapeno and cook until aromatic, 3 minutes. Stir in herbs and kale (and green onions) and cook until softened, 4 minutes. Salt if necessary.

Off heat, mix half of pomegranate seeds into kale mixture. Divide among four plates and top each with a pork chop. Garnish with remaining pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.

What worked: They were fine, actually better than I expected. The contrast of bright wilted greens and pomegranate was nice, as was the bitter kale vs. the acid pomegranate.

What didn't: Meh. Kale takes a long time to prep, especially when you consider the outcome (eating kale).

Will I make it again? I don't think so.

Comments

[kareina]

I have to laugh at your "Kale takes a long time to prep, especially when you consider the outcome", considering that one of the reasons I am so fond of kale is how easy it is: Brake off a leaf or three from the ones growing right outside my door, give them a quick rinse, use my kitchen scissors to cut them into a microwave safe bowl, give it 1 minute in the microwave, add some left-over starch of choice (rice, potato, quinoa, whatever), a dollop of butter +/- some garlic powder and/or other interesting spice and give it another minute in the microwave. I love it like this, and it takes pretty much no energy.

I am really not clear what the point is of blanching it is, other than to lose some of the nutritional value..

[madbaker]

It would take some energy for me to go find and buy a microwave. More importantly, it would take a lot of counter space that I don't have. So I'll stick with other cooking methods that use the tools and space I possess...

The point of blanching is to "kill the enzymes that would otherwise cause unwanted changes to the food." In this case, keep it bright green rather than going greyish-green.
The studies I've read (caveat, not an expert) say that a few vitamins such as ascorbic acid and thiamine are reduced in blanching. I don't prepare all my food this way so I think it's acceptable here for aesthetic reasons.

[kareina]

Even when I cook kale on the stovetop (which I also do rather often, since I love it), it never goes greyish-green. Most often I add it to a frying pan in which I have just cooked a bit of garlic in not much butter, then add a tiny bit of water and put on a lid for a bit to get it to wilt enough that there is room to stir in other ingredients (since if I am bothering to turn on the stove I tend to cook enough for leftovers).