This is a reissue of an earlier post. The recipe link in the older post is no longer on the Web; it can now be found at the bottom of this post.
Riesling: Schafer-Frohlich Felseneck Kabinett 2014 – Pairing Rating: 9.5 out of 10.0
The poor pork chop. It’s never garnered the cachet of the beef rib chop or veal chop. We set out to address this issue and quickly realized that pork needs a partner, a wing man, to elevate its status. Not unlike Seinfeld and Costanza . . . or H. W. Bush and Quayle. OK, maybe not that last one.
Beans. Of course! Beans are the perfect partner for pork! But not beans alone. After all, even Jerry and George needed Elaine and Kramer to make a remarkable, hit show. So too, pork needs garlic and carrots to complement the creamy texture of the beans. Furthermore, this dish can be enhanced with these optional steps.
Optional Step #1: brine the chop for 1 to 2 days depending on thickness. Because most pork chops are not well-marbled, tenderness can be problematic. Brining addresses that issue, while infusing a few spices at the same time. The brine recipe we like to use is from the Zuni Café Cookbook and can be found in the recipe link below. We have one suggested revision: cut back on the sugar to 4 Tbsp.
Optional Step #2: after brining, thoroughly rinse the chops in cold water, pat dry and place back in the frig for an hour or so. This helps diffuse the spiced brine evenly through the meat. While you are waiting for this, you can prepare the beans and garlic.
Pork likes sweet sauces. Think apple sauce or honey BBQ sauce. Those are too sweet for us, however. Instead, tone it down using a vegetable like carrots to provide both texture and subtle sweetness to the beans and garlic. That what the recipe below offers.
The compelling wine pairing with this dish is Riesling. We say that for two reasons: one, the dish is inherently lean, so there’s no need for a big tannic wine to cleanse the fat from the palate; two, the carrots add a touch of sweetness to the dish. But the sweetness of carrots is subtle.
That same level of subtlety is evident in a Riesling Kabinett . And for that we chose the Schafer-Frohlich Felseneck Riesling Kabinett 2014 ($35).
Kabinett is a German designation meaning that the grapes were fully ripe when picked. We love this wine for its perfect balance of ripe fruit, acidity and minerality. The wine has sufficient weight to handle the beans and garlic, yet does not overpower the dish with either acidity or sweetness. Some sommeliers rave about the ability of Rieslings to pair with a broad array of foods. We’re from Missouri on that claim. But we do believe that Riesling has its place – and this outstanding recipe is perfect for Kabinett.
Among all the blog posts we have written, there are two others where we favored Riesling over other pairings:
Riesling and Chilled Curried Pea Soup
Check out those posts. And buy some German Rieslings from the 2014, 2015 or 2017 vintages. All are excellent years to begin your pairing initiative with this beautiful wine.
Pork Chops with Garlic & Beans
Ingredients
- 4 Center-cut Pork Chops, preferably bone-in
- 1 small piece of pork, either a small chop or piece of pork belly for cooking the onions and carrots
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled. About 12 cloves.
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 3 or 4 fresh sage leaves
- 1-3/4 cups of reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cans (15 oz. each) of white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Cooking the Onions, Carrots & Garlic
- Bring a large saute pan or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the small piece of pork and brown on both sides.
- Then add the chopped onions, carrots, garlic cloves and red pepper flakes.
- Saute the vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sage leaves and the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and set aside.
- Cooking the Chops and Beans
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place half of the rinsed beans in a bowl and use a fork to mash. A small food processor or Bullet works well if you add a little chicken broth to the beans.
- After you have completed Optional Steps #1 and #2 called out in the text of the blog post, sprinkle the chops with black pepper only.
- If you have chosen to skip Steps #1 and #2, then sprinkle the chops with both salt and pepper.
- Sear or grill the chops until nicely brown on both sides, about 6-8 minutes total.
- Return the saute pan to high heat and bring to a boil.
- Transfer the chops to the saute pan, cover and place in the oven.
- After about 15-20 minutes in the oven, add the mashed beans and the whole beans to the saute pan.
- Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the chops are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Remove the small piece of pork and discard.
- Spoon the sauce into shallow bowls and top with the chops.
- Spoon a little more of the sauce over the top and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately
Thomas Lansen says
Steve, this looks absolutely delicious.
Steven says
Thanks for the comment, Thomas.