Serves 4
Notes
Dried porcini are always a part of my pantry. I soak them to rehydrate them and then chop and add to sauces, soups and braises to add depth. A little goes a long way with these, so a small handful is all you need. Don’t throw away the soaking liquid; strain it and add it to the sauce for added flavor! This makes more rub than you’ll need for the chops, but it will keep in your pantry for several weeks. It’s also delicious on chicken or mixed into burger patties or tossed with vegetables before roasting.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the pork chops:
- 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons fennel seed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 4 (1-inch thick) bone-in pork loin chops, about 10 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the grill
- Ingredients for the corn salad:
- 4 ears sweet corn, shucked
- 4 firm ripe apricots, halved and pitted
- 1 medium red onion, cut into thick rings
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. For the rub, pulse the porcini and fennel seed in a spice grinder to a fine powder to get about ½ cup. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar, salt and pepper. Sprinkle about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the rub on each chop and rub into both sides. (For extra flavor, rub the chops an hour or two ahead and refrigerate.) Brush the chops with the olive oil. For the salad, put the corn, apricots and red onion on a baking sheet and brush all over with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Put the chops on one side of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until nicely marked and just cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted close to but not touching the bone should read 145 degrees F), about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, grill the corn, apricots and red onion on the other side of the grill until the corn is lightly charred, about 5 minutes, and the apricots and red onion are just tender, about 3 minutes for the apricots and 5 minutes for the red onion. Let the chops rest for a few minutes off the grill while you assemble the salad. Cut the kernels from the ear into a large bowl. Cut the apricots and red onion into chunks and add to the bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar and toss. Add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Toss and serve with the pork chops.
