Valentine’s day is one of those weird holidays. For the serious, romantically-inclined, it is a day to be revered, honored, orchestrated and executed with precision. For the less romantic…dare I say, less sappy?…it is a day to simply do something nice for the person we love and admire. Well, for me that person is my husband and friend, Tom. Nothing arouses more loving words from his lips than a well-cooked meal. And one of his very favorites is Pork Chops with Apple and Pear Chutney. Now, you have to understand, I HATE pork-pork loin, pork chops, pork sausage, pork BBQ, pork on a stick…blehk! But, Tom loves it. So, every once in a while I set my angst aside and make him a special meal.
For all of you pork-eating romantics out there, here is a peek into my husband’s soul – the thing that keeps him happy and star-struck in love with me.

Rosemary Pork Chops with Apple and Pear Chutney, Creamed Spinach and Baked Potatoes:

Serves~2

Food Stuffs:
Two 2 inch thick center cut pork chop-should be bone free and have a nice rich pink hue to it. Look for a cut with a little marbling but not a lot of grissel or fat.

2 large Golden Yukon baking potatoes.

2 Lbs  of fresh spinach

1 pint light whipping cream

2 sticks salted butter

5oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 lg. purple onion

1 Granny Smith Apple

1 Pear-make sure you pick a nice firm pear as it needs to be able to stand up to the heat while cooking

Sour cream (optional)

Cream Sherry

Sea Salt, Cracked Pepper, Minced Garlic , Ground Rosemary, Cayenne Pepper.

You’ll want to start my rubbing your pork chop so that it has a little time to absorb some of the seasoning, before you start cooking. Sprinkle the chops with sea salt, rosemary and fresh cracked black pepper – repeat on other side. Set the chops aside and let sit at room temperature for about 1o minutes.

While your chops are resting, prepare the chutney. After you have cleaned and cored your apple and pear, dice them into 1/2in cubes and set aside. Next, chop your onion; making sure to give a fine dice – you do not want large chunks of onion. Set half the onion aside for the spinach.

Prepare the baked potatoes.  I am not a fan of making baked potatoes in the oven. They seem to take FOREVER! In case you have missed it, I am not a very patient chef. So, what I like to do is pop them in the microwave and then finish them off in the oven. It’s simple, really. Clean and score the potatoes and pop them in the microwave till they are fall off the fork tender. *If you don’t score them, they will explode…annoying lesson learned the messy way. For large potatoes, this may take 15 to 20 minutes, so this is usually one of the first things I do.  Once the potatoes are cooked. Just transfer them to the oven at 350 for 10 ten minutes or until they a get a little crisp on the outside.

Once you have your potatoes in and cooking, it’s time to start the chops. You should use a heavy, weighted pan to sear your chops – like a cast iron pan. Turn the heat on high and heat your pan. Once the pan is hot, add 4 TBS butter and let it melt placing the pork chops directly on top of the butter. DO NOT TOUCH THE CHOPS! Let them sear in all the juices for about 1min.  Turn the chops and repeat searing process. Splash the chops with some cooking sherry and cover. Reduce the heat to med high and let chops cook  for about 3 min each side. You do not want to over cook your pork chops. I know there is a lot of worry when it comes to preparing pork and chicken. And while it is very important to thoroughly cook your meat, it is not necessary to kill it – remember, it’s already dead. A good way to check if your chops are done, is to use your middle finger and poke the meat in the center. If it is firm like a poking a center of your open palm, it is finished.

On to the creamed spinach! Wash your spinach and let drain in a colander. In a large pot, melt 4 TBS butter and saute the remaining onions. As soon as the onions start to brown add 3 TBS minced garlic. Allow garlic and onions to finish browning and then add spinach to pot. Cover and let steam till all the leaves are wilted. Once your spinach has cooked down, add light whipping cream and stir. Add 1tsp cracked pepper, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. Stir and taste.  *Remember, we are going to add fresh Parmesan cheese and that will boost the saltiness of the spinach. I made the mistake of over-salting my spinach the first time I made this, because I forgot to consider the salt in the cheese. Bring the spinach to a slow simmer and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir and allow to thicken. Reduce heat and let stand for 5min before serving. This will allow all the flavors to marry. Taste your spinach again before serving to make sure the salt is properly balanced. There is nothing worse than bland creamed spinach!

In a medium saute pan melt 3 TBS butter and add half onion. Once the onion starts to brown, add the apples and pears, a pinch of salt, a pinch of cracked pepper, and 3-4 shakes of cayenne pepper and couple TBS of cream sherry. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 2-3min. Taste – you are looking for a nice sweet/salty flavor with a just a little kick from the cayenne pepper. Your apples and pears should be lightly browned and still firm on the inside. If you have accomplished this, remove from heat and set aside.

Whew! We are just about ready to serve. Now, I am big advocate of family dinners; but on special nights, I like to feed the kids early and put them to bed so that Tom and I can have some adult time. This means the Dora place mats come off the table and the toys get put in their proper homes and a candle or flower goes up. I pull out our good dishes…you know, the ones that have managed to escape being chipped and cracked…and wine glasses are arranged in line with the water flutes. A full set of flatware is properly placed on cloth napkins. I know what you are thinking! “Oh come on, Becca! I’ve worked all day, taking care of the kids and cleaning this blasted house and now, I made a really nice dinner and you want me to use cloth napkins and change my clothes!” Yes, I do! Look, ladies. If your days are anything like mine, you spend the majority of your time wiping noses and cleaning juice off the floors, sofa and occasionally the ceiling. So take a moment, stop counting the snot and peanut butter smears on your clothes, run upstairs and de-kid yourself. Put on something clean..it doesn’t have to be nice, but you should at least aim for clean…break out the cloth napkins and wow your husband or significant other.  It’s nice to occasionally transform your dining room into a quiet little cafe. So, make tonight special. Go all out!

Now for the plating. Position one chop on the plate. On the opposite side of the plate, spoon a generous helping of creamed spinach. Slit potato and arrange next to the spinach. Top the chops with a good amount of chutney. Place a dollop of sour cream and butter next to the potato and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper.

Serve with a Pino Noir or if you prefer a white wine, I recommend a Sauvignon Blanc. *Just thought I’d throw this out there – if the wine is in a box or the bottle has a screw top, these are good indications that it may not be a very good wine – tips you may want to share with your husband should you send him for a bottle :)

I hope you all enjoy a special night. I love sitting quietly over a good meal, just talking about our day and reminiscing. And when the last bite is taken and the bottle is empty, look at your spouse and say these magical words “Honey, I cooked. You clean.”  :)