I had salad fixings and two thick pork loin center chops, and was standing, first in my fridge, and then in my pantry, figuring out what to do with them. I think some of the nights when you begin dinner with no plan whatsoever, things can get creative AND delicious. I improvised. It had to be good. It was Wednesday, so my best dinners of the week happen on Top Chef night!
I turned on my oven to 350. Then I coated the pork chops with lots of ground ginger, salt and pepper, and browned them in a little butter (about 2 minutes on each side).
I placed the pork chops in a baking pan, and added 1/2 cup of white wine to the skillet where they had been browned, along with some fresh grated ginger, and 1/4 c. applesauce. (It just sort of jumped out at me.) I poured that hot mixture over the pork chops and put them in the oven.
I started a pan of creamy polenta by chopping some sage and rosemary in butter, then adding a cup of polenta and 2 cups of milk.
I chopped some dried figs, and some walnuts. After the chops had baked for 25 minutes, and the polenta was almost done, I topped the chops with the figs, walnuts, and some golden raisins for their last 10 minutes in the oven. I spooned polenta on the plate, topped it with the fruit-covered chop, and took the pan juices to the stovetop to reduce further. I poured this reduced sauce over the meat with a sprinkle of fig balsamic reduction. YUM!
