I’m not really a fan of pork chops but since Costco had a great sale last weekend, I ended up with a pile of them in my refrigerator. One of the recipes I tried that really was amazing was this one. The topping was so fresh and tangy that it offset the drab taste of the pork.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbspn olive oil, divided
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
salt and black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 pint red grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pint yellow grape tomoatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp dried basil (or two freshly chopped)
2 and 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (As my Greek son-in-law insists, be sure to buy Feta from Greece; it is much more flavourful than any Canadian or US manufacturer’s)

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until golden brown. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in the skillet. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and place in the skillet. Cook to desired doneness (don’t increase heat as that will dry them out). Set aside but keep warm.

Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Return onions to skillet, and stir in tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Cook and stir about 3 minutes, until tomatoes are tender. Mix in balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Top chops with the onion and tomato mixture, and sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.

Great with roasted small potatoes and vermouth-sauteed asparagus

These recipes often show up in the Tales of the Artichoke Hart series, by Robert J. Morrow. Chef Arthur “Artichoke” Hart combines cooking with international intrigue on a regular basis. Click here for the latest book in the series

Lately, some of the recipes come from London Cartwright, 5-star Chef in NYC. For the first book in her series, click here. It’s FREE!