Go Oregonian! Oregon Style Pork Chops with Pinot Noir and Cranberries, Oregon Hash with Wild Mushrooms, Greens, Beets, Hazelnuts and Blue Cheese, Charred Whole Grain Bread with Butter and Chives

Ingredients

  • 4 (1 1/2-inch thick) boneless pork loin chops

  • Salt and pepper

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 3 turns of the pan

  • 2 leeks

  • 1 cup hazelnut or filbert nut pieces

  • 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

  • 1 cup Pinot Noir (such as Willamette Valley Oregon brand)

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • 1/2 stick butter, divided

  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced

  • 1 pound crimini (baby portobello) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

  • 1/2 pound shiitake mushroom caps, sliced

  • 1 bunch kale, chopped, 4-5 cups

  • 1 can sliced beets (15 ounces), drained

  • 8 ounces blue cheese crumbles (such as Oregon brand)

  • 1 loaf crusty whole grain bread

  • 3 tablespoons chopped chives

Directions

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium high heat.

Season chops with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO to the hot skillet and the chops. Cook chops 3-4 minutes on each side. While they cook, split leeks lengthwise, slice in 1/2-inch half-moon pieces and wash vigorously under running water in a colander to release sand. Shake to dry.

Pre-heat a second large skillet for your hash over medium-high heat. Add nuts to the skillet and brown 2-3 minutes then remove and reserve them.

To chop skillet, add another tablespoon EVOO and the leeks. Cook the leeks until tender, 5 minutes. Add cranberries and Pinot Noir to the pan. Scrape up the pan drippings and stir in chicken stock. When sauce comes up to a bubble, add the chops back to the pan and reduce heat to simmer. Finish cooking chops through, 10 minutes.

To the hash skillet, add a tablespoon EVOO and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into oil, add shallots then mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, then add kale. Wilt the kale into the pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. When kale is hot and wilted, add beets and gently combine. Adjust seasonings.

Pre-heat broiler.

Pull chops from their sauce. Raise heat and bring back to a bubble. Cut off 4 thick slices of whole grain bread. Char bread under broiler on each side while you finish the sauce. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the sauce to give it gloss and weight and turn off heat. Pour sauce over the chops. Serve hash alongside the chops and top with crumbles of blue cheese and reserved nuts. Spread charred bread with remaining butter and sprinkle liberally with chopped chives.