Pork Chops With Broccoli Salsa Verde
Recipe GLPR488144b4d6c53e
Succulent bone-in pork rib chops seasoned with fennel and sugar, pan-seared until golden and cooked to a perfect medium doneness. Served alongside a bright and herbal broccoli salsa verde made from charred broccoli stems, green olives, fresh parsley, garlic, and lemon, tossed in olive oil and vinegar.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
3 small heads of broccoli (about 1½ lb. total)
2 tsp. fennel seeds
1½ tsp. sugar
2 bone-in pork rib chops, about 1 inch thick
Kosher salt
2–3 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
½ cup Castelvetrano olives, crushed, pitted, and coarsely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Trim about 1 inch from the bottom of the broccoli stems and peel them with a vegetable peeler or knife. Separate the florets from the stems and reserve the florets for another use. Cut each broccoli stem in half lengthwise and set aside.
Using a spice mill or mortar and pestle, finely grind the fennel seeds. Transfer the ground fennel to a small bowl and stir in the sugar.
Pat the pork chops dry and season them generously all over with kosher salt. Rub the fennel-sugar mixture evenly over both sides of each chop. Let the chops sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Once hot, place the pork chops in the pan and press them down firmly with kitchen tongs to ensure full contact with the surface. Cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the chops and cook the other side for about 2 minutes until golden. Continue flipping every minute or so, cooking for a total of 6 to 8 minutes, until both sides are deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat (away from bone) reads 145°F. Transfer the cooked chops to a cutting board and let them rest for 10 minutes. Leave the skillet on the stove with any remaining oil in it.
If the skillet appears dry, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and return it to medium-high heat. Add the broccoli stem halves to the hot skillet and cook for about 2 minutes per side until they have light char marks and are tender-crisp. Transfer the broccoli to a cutting board, let cool for 3 minutes, then coarsely chop into pieces about ½ inch in size.
Place the chopped broccoli pieces into a medium bowl. Add the grated garlic, chopped olives, fresh parsley, white wine vinegar, lemon zest, and the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Toss everything together until well combined. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference.
To serve, remove the meat from the pork chop bones and slice against the grain into ½-inch-thick pieces. Divide the sliced pork among four serving plates and top each portion with a generous spoonful of the broccoli salsa verde.
