Grilled Pork Chop with Sautéed Greens and Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients for Greens: 

2 bunches of purple kale (or swiss chard, escarole or dandelion greens)
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup diced shallot
2 cloves of garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Ingredients for potatoes: 

1  (20oz bag) of small red potatoes
2-3 TBSP olive oil
5 sprigs of thyme
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 sprig of tarragon, chopped
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper

Ingredients for pork chops:

4 boneless pork loin chops

1/2 cup olive oil

12 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 small shallot, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

salt

pepper

cumin

smoked paprika

Directions: 

1. Marinate the pork chops. Combine the olive oil, shallot, garlic, thyme, rosemary. Pour marinade all over the pork and move around.  Season both sides of the pork with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cumin. Marinate for at least 2 hours but up to overnight. 

2. Prepare your potatoes. Add whole potatoes to a pot with cold water just to cover the potatoes. Add 1 TBSP baking soda to the water. Boil for 15-20 minutes or just until pierced with a fork and tender. Drain potatoes and let dry. 

3. Prepare a cast iron griddle with olive oil. Places the potatoes on the griddle and smash gently with the bottom of a glass. Make sure not to press to hard and flatten all the way or they will fall apart. 

4. Combine all of the herbs, seasoning and oil for the potatoes. Brush onto the potatoes on both sides. 

5. Preheat the grill to 400 degrees and place the griddle on the grill. Close the lid and cook the potatoes about 10-15 minutes per side or until desired crispiness. Careful when flipping so you don't break them.  

6. While the potatoes are cooking, remove the pork from the fridge so it comes to room temp. 

7. Make the greens. Heat a large pot to medium heat with 2 TBSP butter.  Add the shallot and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the greens along with a bit of salt and pepper and lemon zest. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until tender. Taste for tenderness and seasoning.  

8. When you've flipped the potatoes and the greens are about done, you can add the pork chops to the grill.  Since these are small boneless pork chops they should only take 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill when the internal temp measures 140 and let rest for at least 5 minutes under foil.  

This recipe was courtesy of Brian Voltaggio in the old TopChef cookbook 2010.  I added garlic to the greens and I added potatoes to the dish because I think it needed some starch.  Diner tip - greens and pork are best eaten together in one bite! 

Wine pairing: 

Etude

Grace Benoist Ranch 

Estate Pinot Noir

2019

Los Carneros, CA