Easy Meal Ideas: Chop chop ... with wine

This email was sent to you by tampabay.com. To ensure delivery to your inbox please add easymealideas@tampabay.com to your address book. Easy Meal Ideas From Janet's Kitchen    Pork Chops with Fried Garlic and     Red Wine Gravy To cook pork well, and that means to not overcook it, you need a meat thermometer. Invest in an instant read thermometer if you don't already have one. The old school thermometer is good for roasts and birds, but thinner pieces of meat can be tested better with an instant read. Serve these chops with mashed potatoes. Pork Chops with Fried Garlic and Red Wine Gravy 4 bone-in pork chops, about 1/2 pound each Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 to 10 large cloves garlic, sliced crosswise 2 cups red wine 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Trim off any excess fat from the chops. Season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute, being careful not to let it burn, for about 5 minutes, or until golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic bits to a small bowl and set aside. Raise the heat to medium-high and place the pork chops in the pan. Sear them, turning them once, for about 3 minutes on each side. Then continue to flip them every 2 to 3 minutes for 10 to 12 minutes total, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a chop away from bone registers 150 degrees. If the oil begins to smoke, decrease the heat slightly. Transfer the chops to a large plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. With the pan still over medium-high heat, pour in the wine, taking care not to splatter any of the hot oil. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Raise the heat to high and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half. Decrease the heat to medium-low, add the butter, and stir it occasionally until it has melted. Place the pork chops on dinner plates. Pour the juices remainig in the plate that held the chops into the pan with the wine gravy and stir to mix. Garnish each chop with fried garlic bits, then generously drizzle the red wine gravy over the chops and, if desired, any side dishes. Serve immediately. Serves 4. "Simply Fresh: Casual Dining at Home" by Jeff Morgan (Andrews McMeel Universal, 2011)   More recipes and food stories at tampabay.com            Tip of the day. Garlic burns quite quickly and to avoid that bitter taste, add garlic to the saute pan after the onions and/or other aromatics have been in the pan for a while.       On Sale This Week. Got a deal? To have your deal featured in tampabay.com's Easy Meals newsletter, contact Maryann Balbo at mbalbo@sptimes.com or call 727-892-2237.   Janet K. Keeler, who cooks in a kitchen she hates for a job she loves, was named food editor at the St. Petersburg Times in 2000. Since that time, Taste has twice won best food section honors from the Association of Food Journalists. In addition to writing about food, she is the paper's lifestyle editor, overseeing travel and homes coverage.   For more, go to: http://www.tampabay.com Unsubscribe from this newsletter or manage other newsletter subscriptions at tampabay.com ©2009 • St. Petersburg Times, 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact Us | Join Us | Advertise with Us | Subscribe to the St. Petersburg Times Privacy Policy | Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright