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Pork Three Ways: Brined Pork Chops, Fennel-Fontina Sausage, and Swiss Chard with Bacon and Fennel over Polenta Cakes

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Pork Three Ways: Brined Pork Chops, Fennel-Fontina Sausage, and Swiss Chard with Bacon and Fennel over Polenta Cakes

Pork Three Ways: Brined Pork Chops, Fennel-Fontina Sausage, and Swiss Chard with Bacon and Fennel over Polenta Cakes

Pork Three Ways: Brined Pork Chops, Fennel-Fontina Sausage, and Swiss Chard with Bacon and Fennel over Polenta Cakes requires roughly 2 hours and 55 minutes from start to finish. For $9.19 per serving, you get a main course that serves 4. One serving contains 1465 calories, 74g of protein, and 99g of fat. A mixture of hog casing, kosher salt, pork rib chops, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so yummy. To use up the fennel pollen you could follow this main course with the Faux Macaron topped with Homemade Apricot Preserve with Fennel Pollen & Lemon Verbena #FennelFriday as a dessert.

Instructions

1
For the brine: In a large container, add the salt, sugar, coriander, red pepper flakes, fennel, celery, garlic, and enough water to cover the chops and stir to combine. Submerge the pork chops in the brine and let sit in the refrigerator until ready to cook, at least 30 minutes.
Ingredients you will need
Red Pepper FlakesRed Pepper Flakes
Pork ChopsPork Chops
CorianderCoriander
CeleryCelery
FennelFennel
GarlicGarlic
BrineBrine
SugarSugar
WaterWater
SaltSalt
2
Bring the chops to room temperature before cooking.
3
Remove the chops from the brine, discarding the brine.
Ingredients you will need
BrineBrine
4
For the chops: Preheat a cast iron pan.
Equipment you will use
Frying PanFrying Pan
5
Roll the fat edge of each pork chop in the fennel pollen.
Ingredients you will need
Fennel PollenFennel Pollen
Pork ChopsPork Chops
RollRoll
6
Place the pork chops gently in the heated pan.
Ingredients you will need
Pork ChopsPork Chops
Equipment you will use
Frying PanFrying Pan
7
Sear the chops on all sides and cook for about 9 minutes.
8
Remove the chops from the pan and let rest in a warm place before serving. The doneness of the meat should be about medium to medium-well and be very juicy.
Ingredients you will need
MeatMeat
Equipment you will use
Frying PanFrying Pan
9
For the fennel-fontina sausage: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Ingredients you will need
Fontina CheeseFontina Cheese
SausageSausage
FennelFennel
Equipment you will use
OvenOven
10
Season the pork shoulder with the garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, and coriander. Grind the pork twice through the large grind of a stand mixer fitted with a meat grinder attachment. Gently stir in the cheese.
Ingredients you will need
Red Pepper FlakesRed Pepper Flakes
Pork ShoulderPork Shoulder
Fennel SeedsFennel Seeds
CorianderCoriander
CheeseCheese
GarlicGarlic
MeatMeat
PorkPork
SaltSalt
Equipment you will use
Meat GrinderMeat Grinder
Stand MixerStand Mixer
11
Add the cold water and mix lightly. Stuff the ground pork into a casing using the sausage horn attachment to the stand mixer and twist off into evenly sized links.
Ingredients you will need
Ground PorkGround Pork
SausageSausage
WaterWater
Equipment you will use
Stand MixerStand Mixer
12
Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
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OvenOven
Frying PanFrying Pan
13
Preheat a saute pan and drizzle with olive oil.
Ingredients you will need
Olive OilOlive Oil
Equipment you will use
Frying PanFrying Pan
14
Remove the sausages from the oven and brown them in the pan.
Ingredients you will need
SausageSausage
Equipment you will use
OvenOven
Frying PanFrying Pan
15
For the Swiss chard: Coat a saute pan with olive oil. Toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bacon, and a couple drops olive oil. Bring the pan to medium heat. When the garlic is golden and very aromatic, remove it and discard.
Ingredients you will need
Red Pepper FlakesRed Pepper Flakes
Swiss ChardSwiss Chard
Olive OilOlive Oil
GarlicGarlic
BaconBacon
Equipment you will use
Frying PanFrying Pan
16
When the bacon has become crispy, toss in the Swiss chard stems and fennel and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, as needed, and season with salt. When the chicken stock has reduced, toss in the Swiss chard leaves and season with salt. Cook the leaves until they are just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Ingredients you will need
Chicken StockChicken Stock
Swiss ChardSwiss Chard
FennelFennel
BaconBacon
SaltSalt
17
For the polenta cakes: In a saucepan, combine the milk, water, bay leaf, and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. (Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. To do this you must taste as you go. Polenta acts as a salt eraser, if you don't season abundantly here you will never recover from it.)
Ingredients you will need
SeasoningSeasoning
Bay LeavesBay Leaves
Ground Cayenne PepperGround Cayenne Pepper
PolentaPolenta
WaterWater
MilkMilk
SaltSalt
Equipment you will use
Sauce PanSauce Pan
18
Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta, whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined, switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes.
Ingredients you will need
PolentaPolenta
WaterWater
MilkMilk
Equipment you will use
Wooden SpoonWooden Spoon
WhiskWhisk
19
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.
Ingredients you will need
MascarponeMascarpone
Bay LeavesBay Leaves
SageSage
20
Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap.
Ingredients you will need
WrapWrap
Equipment you will use
Plastic WrapPlastic Wrap
Frying PanFrying Pan
21
Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic wrap smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday! Cool!)
Ingredients you will need
PolentaPolenta
WrapWrap
Equipment you will use
Plastic WrapPlastic Wrap
Frying PanFrying Pan
22
Remove the polenta from the pan and cut into desired shapes. Coat a nonstick saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta shapes. Cook the polenta on both sides and finish by sprinkling with a little bit of grated Parmigiano.
Ingredients you will need
Parmigiano ReggianoParmigiano Reggiano
Olive OilOlive Oil
PolentaPolenta
Equipment you will use
Frying PanFrying Pan
1
Place 1 polenta cake on each plate and top with Swiss chard and bacon. Lean 1 chop on each polenta cake. Slice the sausages on the bias and plate 2 slices on each plate. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients you will need
Swiss ChardSwiss Chard
Olive OilOlive Oil
SausageSausage
PolentaPolenta
BaconBacon
DifficultyExpert
Ready In2 hrs, 55 m.
Servings4
Health Score60
Gluten FreeVery Healthy
DietsGluten Free
Dish TypesLunchMain CourseMain DishDinner
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