Sous Vide Pork Chop over Creamy Polenta, Puddletown Apple Chutney & a garnish of fresh herb salad
French for “under vacuum”, sous vide is a remarkable way to cook and an ironic way to describe my emotions at this moment. I know my father would have loved this pork; so tender, simple and delicious. A large, gregarious man with a huge appetite but simple tastes, this dinner would have made him rave (although, he might have preferred tater tots to polenta…talking to you brother Mark).
Ingredients
PORK
(2) 1 inch thick boneless pork rib chops
1 tsp “Stacey’s Magic Mix” (aka: 1 part each Maldon’s sea salt, black pepper corn, coriander seed, cooked in a low oven temp until fragrant, grind fine)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TB butter and 1 TB olive oil
Herbs (whatever you have fresh or none at all), chopped
POLENTA
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup corn meal (preferably…)
1 TB butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, slightly crushed
1/4 cup grated mozzarella (optional)
SALAD
Chopped fresh herbs and greens such as:
Baby kale
Thyme
Basil
Arugula
Green onions
Tarragon (but Dad was not a fan of this herb)
Italian parsley
Instructions
Polenta
Bring the water, salt, butter & garlic to a simmer.
In a slow stream, whisk in the cornmeal.
Turn the heat to low, continuously stirring until it thickens. Stir in the grated cheese and keep warm until serving.
Salad
Clean and chop enough for each plate to have just enough (this is a personal decision as to how much is needed).
PORK
Dry each chop with paper towel and sprinkle with the magic mix. It should evenly coat each chop but not saturate. Rub this in and let sit until you are ready to cook. As everyone who knows me knows, I am not one to hurry. Dad often ate well past his mealtime.
Heat a pan on high and add oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Add the pork, turn the heat to medium and scatter the garlic over to sear (a minute or two).
Turn and turn off the heat. You might choose to lift the chops so as to sear the edges as well.
Meanwhile, fill a stockpot with water, insert your Joule or other sous vide device and set heat to 144 degrees F.
Add the meat and juices to a sous vide bag, add a smidge of maple syrup and seal the bag, sealing out the air.
Put the bag in the water and turn in the timer.
When done, remove from bag and pat meat dry. Sear in butter, slice and serve over polenta, alongside a nice apple chutney topped with the herb salad.
Notes
At a time like this, shortcuts are necessary and in this case, very welcome. Puddletown Pub Chutney is a chutney of apples, onions, coffee and beer (seriously). A perfect combination for many occasions, I think. It is delicious alongside this pork and polenta as well as many other things. Check it out, I don’t get paid for promoting anything here.