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Cooking from the Glossies: Balsamic Pork with Shallots

Posted by Grace Kang, March 19, 2009 at 4:15 PM

I needed a quick and easy meal to make for my cousin last night and this Balsamic Pork with Shallots from the March issue of Cooking Light definitely fit the bill. Easily a 30 minute meal, the recipe is straightforward and simple. Sauté the pork, caramelize the shallots, add some vinegar and water, and it's basically done.

The recipe originally called for one pound of pork tenderloin, but we were shopping at Costco where they only had gargantuan five-pound tenderloins. (The meat section at Costco is a bit scary). Thus, I settled for the more manageable pork chops. The shallot mixture would also go well with chicken, beef, or turkey, so feel free to switch it up if you don't eat pork. To make the dish a bit more luxurious, add a tablespoon or so of heavy cream at the end. It'll smooth out the tartness of the balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic Pork with Shallots

- serves 4 -

Adapted from Cooking Light, March 2009.

Ingredients

5 teaspoons olive oil
4 boneless pork chops (1-inch thick)
2 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Take out pork chops 30 minutes in advance and bring to room temperature. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side. Cook in batches if pan isn't big enough. Remove from pan, and let rest.

2. Add remaining oil to pan; reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in water and vinegar; simmer 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon shallot mixture over pork. Serve immediately.

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Tags: balsamic vinegar, Cooking from the Glossies, Cooking Light, mains, pork, pork chops, shallots