Pork Chops with Grilled Radicchio Salad
Grilling radicchio tempers its peppery flavor, and a sweet and nutty vinaigrette further tames its bite in this warm salad served alongside a simple grilled pork chop. Using bone-in pork rather than boneless will give you juicier, more flavorful results, but you must still be careful not to overcook the chops, as lean pork can easily become dry.
Ingredients
For the pork chops:
- Olive oil for brushing
- 4 bone-in pork chops, each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- 2 heads radicchio
- Olive oil for brushing
- 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) walnut oil
- 1 Tbs. honey
- 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz. (90 g) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) chopped toasted walnuts
Directions
Preheat a cast-iron stovetop grill pan over medium heat. Lightly brush the pan with olive oil.
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and place in the grill pan. Cook until the pork is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 145°F, about 15 minutes, turning the pork chops over halfway through the cooking time.
While the pork is cooking, quarter the radicchio heads lengthwise, leaving the cores intact. Brush the cut sides generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the together walnut oil, honey, lemon juice, the 1/2 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper. Set aside.
When the pork is done, transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest while you finish the salad.
Place the radicchio, cut sides down, in the grill pan and cook, turning frequently, until browned and tender when pierced at the core with a knife, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the radicchio to a cutting board and chop into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the radicchio, goat cheese and walnuts. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Divide the pork chops among 4 plates and serve with the warm salad alongside. Serves 4.
Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen