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

Name: Pork Three Ways: Brined Pork Chops, Fennel-Fontina Sausage, and Swiss Chard with Bacon and Fennel over Polenta Cakes
Prep time: 2 h 55 min
Cook time: 2 h 55 min
Total time: 2 h 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 3 slices bacon, cut into lardons; 1 bay leaf; 1 pinch Pinch cayenne pepper; 1 rib celery, chopped; 59 milliliters chicken stock; 2 Tbsps coriander seed; 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced; 1 Stalk and fronds from 1 fennel bulb, chopped; 2 Tbsps wild fennel pollen, plus more, if needed; 1 Tbsp fennel seed; 118 milliliters Fontina cheese, small dice; 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic; 2 cloves garlic, smashed; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 Tbsp ground coriander; 118 milliliters kosher salt; 2 Tbsps kosher salt; 4 servings Kosher salt; 59 milliliters mascarpone; 237 milliliters milk; 4 servings Olive oil; 4 servings Extra-virgin olive oil; 4 servings Quality olive oil, for drizzling; 4 Tbsps grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; 237 milliliters polenta; 4 bone-in pork rib chops; 907 grams pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks (pork should have a good amount of fat); 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

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

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 Flakes

Pork Chops

Coriander

Celery

Fennel

Garlic

Brine

Sugar

Water

Salt

Bring the chops to room temperature before cooking.

Remove the chops from the brine, discarding the brine.

Ingredients you will need

Brine

For the chops: Preheat a cast iron pan.

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Roll the fat edge of each pork chop in the fennel pollen.

Ingredients you will need

Fennel Pollen

Pork Chops

Roll

Place the pork chops gently in the heated pan.

Ingredients you will need

Pork Chops

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Sear the chops on all sides and cook for about 9 minutes.

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

Meat

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

For the fennel-fontina sausage: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Ingredients you will need

Fontina Cheese

Sausage

Fennel

Equipment you will use

Oven

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 Flakes

Pork Shoulder

Fennel Seeds

Coriander

Cheese

Garlic

Meat

Pork

Salt

Equipment you will use

Meat Grinder

Stand Mixer

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 Pork

Sausage

Water

Equipment you will use

Stand Mixer

Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Frying Pan

Preheat a saute pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Remove the sausages from the oven and brown them in the pan.

Ingredients you will need

Sausage

Equipment you will use

Oven

Frying Pan

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 Flakes

Swiss Chard

Olive Oil

Garlic

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

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 Stock

Swiss Chard

Fennel

Bacon

Salt

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

Seasoning

Bay Leaves

Ground Cayenne Pepper

Polenta

Water

Milk

Salt

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

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

Polenta

Water

Milk

Equipment you will use

Wooden Spoon

Whisk

Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.

Ingredients you will need

Mascarpone

Bay Leaves

Sage

Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap.

Ingredients you will need

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Plastic Wrap

Frying Pan

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

Polenta

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Plastic Wrap

Frying Pan

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 Reggiano

Olive Oil

Polenta

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

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 Chard

Olive Oil

Sausage

Polenta

Bacon

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

3slices

bacon, cut into lardons 1

bay leaf 1pinch

Pinch cayenne pepper 1rib

celery, chopped 59milliliters

chicken stock 2Tbsps

coriander seed 1

fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1Stalk

and fronds from 1 fennel bulb, chopped 2Tbsps

wild fennel pollen, plus more, if needed 1Tbsp

fennel seed 118milliliters

Fontina cheese, small dice 4

fresh sage leaves, finely chopped 2cloves

garlic 2cloves

garlic, smashed 3cloves

garlic, smashed 1Tbsp

ground coriander 118milliliters

kosher salt 2Tbsps

kosher salt 4servings

Kosher salt 59milliliters

mascarpone 237milliliters

milk 4servings

Olive oil 4servings

Extra-virgin olive oil 4servings

Quality olive oil, for drizzling 4Tbsps

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 237milliliters

polenta 4

bone-in pork rib chops 907grams

pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks (pork should have a good amount of fat)1Tbsp

crushed red pepper flakes 1teaspoon

crushed red pepper flakes 4servings

Crushed red pepper flakes 79milliliters

sugar 5

Swiss chard leaves, stems removed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths, leaves cut into 1-inch lengths 59milliliters

cold water 473milliliters

water 4servings

Water 4servings

Hog casing

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling

Pork Chops on the menu? Try pairing with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. Chardonnay suits simple chops or chops in a butter or cream sauce, dry riesling complements sweet additions like honey mustard or apples, and pinot noir is a safe bet for pork dishes in general. The Antica Chardonnay (Mountain Select) with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 29 dollars per bottle.