Last week I admitted to getting cable just so I could watch the Barefoot Contessa’s shows, but an unexpected bonus has been discovering Tyler Florence on the Food Network. He’s a real meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, but all taken to the next level. This dish is a case in point — what would otherwise be a forgettable pork chop and roasted potato is transformed into something tantalizing simply by adding a blue cheese dressing. So far I’ve wanted to make just about everything I’ve seen on his show, and invariably my husband comments that he wouldn’t complain if I made whatever Tyler’s cooking on TV. This is an easy weeknight dinner, requiring only a bit of chopping for the potatoes and any vegetable you want to serve, a quick stir to make the dressing and 10 minutes spent at the stove to fry the pork chops.
Since you’ll already have the oven on at a high heat for roasting the potatoes, a roasted vegetable would be a good choice to serve alongside the pork and potatoes. Roasted beets would complement the flavors in the blue cheese well, or you could try roasted winter vegetables, roasted parsnips and carrots, roasted squash, roasted broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts.
Pork Chops and Roasted Potatoes with Blue Cheese Dressing
adapted from Tyler Florence
Serves 4
2 lb (900 g) baby potatoes, cut in half through the equator
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 thick pork chops (about 3 lb/1.4 kg) total
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves only
for the blue cheese dressing:
1/2 cup (100 g) crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh chives, minced
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pour enough olive oil in a roasting tin, baking sheet or casserole dish to coat the bottom, then place the tin in the oven to heat the oil.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Add the parboiled potatoes to the hot oil in the roasting tin, stirring well to ensure all the potatoes are coated with oil. Season well with salt and pepper, then roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
To make the dressing, put the cheese, buttermilk and olive oil in a small bowl and stir together with a fork, mashing a little to break up the cheese. Season with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chives.
When the potatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, season the chops with salt and pepper. Put a large saute pan over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil, and heat until it begins to smoke. Add the pork chops and saute until golden brown on the outside and just barely pink inside, 4 to 6 minutes on each side.
To serve, put a chop on each of 4 plates. Put the potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Add the mint and toss. Set one portion of the potatoes on top of each chop and serve.
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