Celebrating Father’s Day with the Other White Meat
In this month’s issue of Everyday Food from Martha Stewart, there are several recipe suggestions for incorporating prosciutto into your home cooking. These suggestions include adding this delicious salt-cured ham to salads, mixing into pasta dishes, and serving with fresh fruit. And then there is a recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Chops. This dish is perfect for an early Father’s Day brunch to serve as a lighter prelude to the later beefy dinner spreads and big backyard barbecues.
With seasonings limited to salt, pepper, and thyme (adding lemon is optional), the preparation for this dish is simple and fast. Each side of the small, boneless pork loin chop is coated with salt, pepper and thyme, before being wrapped a slice of prosciutto around it. Once the pork chop packages are assembled, they are quickly browned in olive oil for no more than five minutes per side. The strong taste of the prosciutto and pork is heavily accented by the essence of thyme, as the flavors are well blended by the olive oil. Serve this dish with complimentary sides of your choice, or consider doubling (or tripling) the recipe to create a sophisticated family buffet for Father’s Day.
Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Chops
(recipe courtesy of Everyday Food)
Serves 4
(Prep. Time 25 minutes)
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops (5 to 6 ounces each)
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces total)
2 teaspooons olive oil
lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Sprinkle thyme leaves over each, pressing, to help them adhere to the meat. Wrap 1 prosciutto slice around middle of each chop, like a belt; press ends to seal.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook chops until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (Cook in two batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding.) Serve chops with lemon wedges, if desired.
Per serving: 301 calories; 15.3 grams fat; 38.5 grams protein; 0.3 gram carbohydrates; 0.2 gram fiber.
Everyday Food, June 2006
