Kris and Peter Stewart breed and raise Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs at Hardscrabble Ranch on Brackett Creek Road. In spring when new piglets delight their guests, Kris likes to make her bright, flavorful Spring Green Sauce that pairs perfectly with their heritage pork chops. Before grilling, she uses some of the sauce to season and marinate the chops, then serves the rest alongside the pork chops aft er they’re grilled.
SERVES 4–6
4 thick-cut pork chops (1½–2 inches thick, either center-cut or boneless)
Spring Green Sauce (recipe here)
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 lemon
Trim any excess fat off the pork chops. Place the chops in a jumbo plastic bag. Add a few tablespoons of water so the meat doesn’t tear when pounded. Close the bag, then pound each chop a few times with the flat side of a meat mallet to even out and tenderize. The goal is for them to be a ½ inch thinner than they were to start.
Add about ⅓ of the Spring Green Sauce to the bag and coat the chops. Marinate the pork chops in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. If you don’t have time to marinate, simply slather the sauce on the chops just before grilling.
Prepare a grill so there is a hot side and a cooler side for indirect cooking.
Place the chops on the hott er side and grill for 5 minutes on each side, rotating them a ¼ turn aft er 2–3 minutes on each side to produce nice crosshatch marks. After they’re seared, move the chops to the cooler side of the grill. It’s good to baste with a bit more of the marinade as the meat cooks. Take your time—longer and cooler on the grill is bett er than shorter and hott er for thicker chops. Insert a meat thermometer in the side of a chop (not from the top). The pork is done when it registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer. Take the chops off the grill, cover with foil, and let them rest for about 10 minutes.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the asparagus, then add salt and pepper. While the chops are resting, add asparagus to the grill. Asparagus takes about 6 minutes, turning occasionally. Once the asparagus is grilled, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the stalks and set aside.
Serve chops and asparagus with the rest of the Spring Green Sauce. The pork chops also pair nicely with Daniel Cox’s kamut risotto.
Wine Pairing
2021 Coteaux du Loir
It’s a surprise to have white wine with these super pink heritage pork chops, but we agree that this Chenin Blanc is exciting and delightfully elevates the flavors in the pork.
Recommendation by Debbie Endres. At the Gourmet Cellar in Livingston, Debbie Endres talks about wine in a down-to-earth and relatable way. Since opening her storefront in 2004, her goal has been to offer wines at any price point that can be enjoyed with whatever is on the menu.
