Pork, it’s what’s for dinner!  This is one of my favorite recipes because it is simple enough for a random Tuesday but cool enough for a family-style dinner party.  Throw in some mashed potatoes or wild rice to bulk it up and no one is going to bed hungry.  The cabbage wedges are a hit with vegetarians and are delicious right out of the oven or at room temp., making them a great side dish that can be done ahead of time.  I’d recommend drinking an Alsatian white such as a Gewürztraminer or a nice malty Belgian-style ale like Ommegang Abbey to go with this meal.  You want a wine or beer with a bit of sweetness to pair with the cabbage since our cruciferous friend has a tendency to be farty with an over-acidic beverage.  On that note, happy cooking!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Cabbage:

5 cloves garlic

3 sprigs rosemary, leaves only and roughly chopped

¼ cup olive oil

1 head red cabbage

 

For the Warm Sherry Vinaigrette:

¼ cup golden raisins

1 shallot, minced

¼ cup cooking sherry

2 lemons, juiced

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp honey

Salt

Black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a mortar and pestle, add the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mash until everything is macerated and well combined.

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges and place on a sheet tray.  Brush them with the garlic/oil mixture and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.  Flip the cabbage wedges over and cook another 10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.  Remove from the oven and cover with foil to keep warm.

While the cabbage is cooking, move onto the pork chops.

Set up 3 bowls for coating the pork chops.  In the first bowl add the flour and season with salt and pepper.  In the second bowl add the eggs.  In the third bowl add the panko, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.  Working in batches, dredge the pork chops first in the flour, then the egg and finally the panko mixture and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the oil and butter.  Add the pork chops, one or two at a time, making sure not to crowd the pan.  Cook until a nice crust forms, about 2-3 minutes.  Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.  This might not seem like that much cooking time, but because the pork chops are so thin, they will cook quite quickly.  Remove from the skillet and hold on a plate under some foil to keep warm.

After the pork chops are done, strain the grease and add it back to the pan.  Add the raisins and shallots and cook for a few minutes.  Then deglaze the pan with some cooking sherry, making sure to scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the lemon juice, mustard and honey and whisk to combine.

Place one or two cabbage wedges on a plate and rest a pork chop up next to them.  Spoon some of the warm vinaigrette and raisins over the cabbage and serve.