Woodinville Wine Country is kicking off a weekly feature for wine and food aficionados! Every Monday we will feature a recipe from a local culinary expert along with a suggested wine pairing. Today, Novelty Hill – Januik Executive Chef Seth Fernald shares his recipe for pork chops, but these aren’t like the ones your mom used to make! Chef Seth pairs this dish with Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Vineyard Malbec. Enjoy!

Recipe:

Confit Pork Chop
Caper & Currant Emulsion, Fennel, Sherry & Malbec Dressing

Ingredients:

4 center cut pork chop bone in – 10-12 oz ea
2 Tb dried juniper
1 Tsp black pepper
.5 tsp white pepper
.5 cp Salt
1.5 qt water
2 Tb fresh rosemary
2 Tb fresh savory- finely chopped
2 bay Leaf
2 tsp sugar
2 Tb fennel seeds
4 cups of duck fat or rendered pork fat. You may need to ask your butcher to preorder this for you
1 head of garlic cut in half
3 Tb finely minced chives
2 Tb aged sherry vinegar
2 Cp weinbau malbec wine
2 Tb dark amber honey
1 head of fennel- shaved very thin-reserved

Caper Currant Emulsion

.5 Cp of dried currant
2 Tb capers
1 shallot Minced
1 clove of Garlic
4 Tb extra Virgin Olive oi

Method of Prep:

Prepare a brine: Toast both peppers and juniper in a sauté pan for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Lightly crack spices and then make the brine.

Bring water and salt to a simmer- add sugar, rosemary, peppercorns, juniper and 1 bay leaf. Allow to cool to room temperature. Brine pork chops for minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Make the caper currant emulsion

Bring 1 cp of wine, currant, shallot, garlic and caper to a simmer- reduce to low and reduce by 2/3. Puree in blender till smooth, then emulsify 2 Tb olive oil into sauce- reserve

Remove pork chop from brine and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Warm up duck or preferably pork fat.

Place pork chops in a shallow dish and cover with fat and 1 bay leaf and head of garlic.

Cover pork chops with fat and then cover dish with aluminum foil. Poach chops in oven for 40-45 minutes or until pork reaches 135 F. Remove pork chops from fat, place on a baking rack to allow most of fat to drip off chops.

Heat a sauté pan up till medium-high heat. Season pork chops with ground black pepper and sear for 3-4 minutes per side till golden brown.

While pork chops are searing- bring wine and honey to a simmer- reduce by 2/3; add chopped savory & chives.

Dress shaved fennel with wine and sherry reduction along with 2Tb of your favorite extra virgin Olive oil.

To plate spoon puree onto plate and place pork chop onto puree; top pork with the fennel salad.