Tag Archives: puttanesca

Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops

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Piquant was my initial descriptor as I savored my first bite; delicious was a very quick second. As chef Chris Morocco from Bon Appétit explains, every pork chop is a bit different, depending on its thickness and where it has been cut along the ribs or sirloin. That means each chop is somewhat unique and they often don’t cook evenly, particularly when seared like steaks.

However, this recipe calls for a two-step cooking process that mitigates this tendency, ideally starting with thinner chops of around ½” thickness, but the technique works for thicker chops as well (which ours were). A light dusting of flour allows for a deeper sear in less time, which is followed by a very fast and gentle braise in the pan sauce, allowing the chops to cook through but stay wonderfully juicy.

The heat of store-bought pickled chiles, like jalapeños (we always have our own pickled chiles on hand) and guindillas, brings a welcome zing that integrates seamlessly with the salty elements of puttanesca (made with pantry staples like olives and capers) and acts like a counterweight to rich pork chops.

With only two of us for dinner, and not wanting leftovers (unusual for us), we created the dish using only two chops, but did not decrease the other ingredients (except the flour, way too much!) You can easily cut that amount of flour by half, or more (which is indicated in ingredients list below).

Our accompaniment was sautéed baby spinach with garlic (yes, more!). If you would like to pair with a starch, polenta would make a good choice.

Green Chile Puttanesca Pork Chops

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup, all-purpose flour; plus 2 tsp. from dusting leftovers for sauce
  • 4 ½”-thick pork rib chops (look for the most marbled ones you can find), preferably bone-in (1½–2 lb.)
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings
  • 8 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives
  • ¼ cup (or more) halved or sliced pickled jalapeños or guindilla peppers
  • 2 Tbsp. drained capers
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

  1. Place 1 cup all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Season four ½”-thick pork rib chops, preferably bone-in (1½–2 lb.), with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches if needed, cook pork chops until deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn; cook until light golden on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium; pour remaining 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil into pan. Add 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, and 8 garlic cloves, crushed, and cook, stirring often, until softened and light golden around the edges, 3–4 minutes.
  3. Add 2 teaspoons of leftover flour; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatics are coated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives, ¼ cup halved or sliced pickled jalapeños or guindilla peppers, 2 tablespoons drained capers, and 1 cup water and cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until sauce is simmering and beginning to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup fresh lemon juice and 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, and swirl pan until butter is incorporated. Taste sauce; season with salt and add more jalapeños and/or some brine if needed.
  4. Return pork chops to pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Cook, basting with sauce, just until warmed and cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Transfer pork chops to a platter and top with sauce and cilantro.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Chris Morocco for Bon Appétit

Another One-Pot(?) Wonder

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Orecchiette Puttanesca with Tuna and White Beans is a hearty pasta dinner with a bold, briny puttanesca sauce that finds delicious partners in creamy white beans and flaked tuna. And the fact that it is a one-pot wonder, well, that is a bit of a misnomer.

In fact, it is anything but. Yes, the meal itself is made in one pot but you’ll need a couple of strainers for the white beans and capers, and possibly the the tuna if you want to drain and save the oil (which we did) and use that instead of additional olive oil. Plus, how about a bowl to hand-crush the whole tomatoes? And measuring cups to reserve the pasta water, and… well, you get my drift.

But let’s run with the concept. First boil the pasta, drain it, then use the same pot to make the sauce. Orecchiette pasta is preferred because the small saucer shapes catch bits of the olives, capers and tuna. Originally, the consistency of the sauce is kept on the “soupy” side; but stir in additional pasta water at the end to adjust the consistency to suit your taste.

As far as the amount of canned tuna in oil, only 5 ounces for an entire pound of pasta!?! Are you nuts? I used two 7-ounce cans, nearly three times the amount called for, and it was by no means overwhelming.

It’s important to rinse and drain the beans. If their starchy liquid makes it into the pot, it will turn the sauce thick and heavy. Don’t worry about removing the garlic cloves (do what?!) after they’re lightly browned. They’ll soften and break apart slightly as the sauce cooks.

Even if you do use more than one pot, the dish is well worth it and we loved the fact that there was leftovers for a couple of more meals.

Orecchiette Puttanesca with Tuna and White Beans

  • Servings: 5-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup pitted green or black olives (or a combination), roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup drained capers, rinsed and patted dry
  • 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 15½ oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 5 oz. can olive oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked (we used 2, 7-oz. cans)
  • ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

  1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 2½ cups of the cooking water, then drain.
  2. In the same pot over medium, combine the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add the pepper flakes, olives and capers. Increase to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the capers begin to brown, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the tomatoes with juices along with the beans, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  5. Stir in 1½ cups of the reserved water and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Add the orecchiette and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 2 to 4 minutes; add more reserved water if needed to thin.
  6. Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Off heat, stir in the tuna and parsley. Serve drizzled with additional oil.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted by Courtney Hill for Milk Street Community