February 18, 2014 Dinner – Grilled Pork Chops with Brussels Sprouts casserole and Sautéed Apples and Dark Cherries

February 18, 2014 Dinner – Grilled Pork Chops with Brussels Sprouts casserole and Sautéed Apples and Dark Cherries

I spent the day at home reading cases for my water adjudication.  I made a salad for lunch using the PPI steak from Sunday evening’s meal.  It was just as tender today as on Sunday.

I had thawed a boneless pork sirloin chop yesterday so I thawed another pork chop at 3:00 when I went for a bike ride 9.2 miles to Rio Bravo and back.

After Suzette arrived around 5:30 we discussed dinner and quickly decided to grill the pork chops and make a Brussels sprouts casserole.  I put the bottle of Josefina Rosé of Syrah into the freezer and went to take a shower and then met with Shahin, my accountant, for a few minutes.  Then I went to read and close my eyes for a few minutes.  About thirty minutes later, Suzette arrived to get me tell me help get dinner ready.   I went to the kitchen and found that the casserole was already in the oven and Suzette was ready to put the pork chops on the grill.  We discussed another vegetable and decided to sauté apple slices and cherries instead and Suzette suggested dousing the apple slices with cognac.

So I sliced one gala apple into slices and laid them in a medium skillet with about two Tbsps. of butter and Suzette put the pork chops on the grill.

Suzette asked if I wanted to grate any cheese onto the casserole and I said yes and found an old piece of what appeared to be Pecorino Romano cheese in the fridge and sliced slices off it as best I could because it was quite dried out and laid them on the casserole and returned it to the oven to melt the cheese.  

I sautéed the apple slices until they softened and turned golden brown, at which time we added a handful of dried cherries from Costco and another Tbsp. of butter.  When the cherries softened, we added about 2 tbsps. of cognac and turned down the heat.

    

When the pork chops were cooked, which took longer than usual because the larger chop that I had thawed at 3:00 had not fully thawed and needed about twenty minutes longer on the grill to cook to pinky clear in the center, Suzette brought them to the kitchen and sliced them.  She then ladled spoonsful of the casserole onto the plate and placed apple slices and cherries on her chop.  I placed the sautéed apple slices and cherry sauce beside my chop and poured the Josefina Rosé of Syrah.

We enjoyed another simple, delicious meal.  I loved the combination of cognac laced apple slices and cherries with the grilled pork and casserole containing chopped onion, cloves of garlic and halved Brussels sprouts brushed with olive oil and roasted in the oven.

The 2012 Josefina Rosé of Syrah (Trader Joe’s $5.99) was also delicious.  Fruity with good acidity and just a hint of the darker syrah grape essence and a perfect complement for the cherries and grilled pork and slightly bitter Brussels sprouts.   The cheese did not melt and added another dimension to the casserole, sort of dried cheese wafers.  I will grate good fresh cheese that will melt next time.

   

Bon Appétit