You never know where you’ll find things that will inspire you, or even haunt you to dig in deeper to certain topics…. or tastes. When Mr. Splendid suggested we take a hike in Pigna, Italy at the base of the Italian Alps I did not imagine that I would end up lunching at the legendary Ristorante Trattoria Terme enjoying the most succulent, flavorful veal chop I’d ever devoured, prepared in a nutty brown butter and sage situation, washed down with refreshing sips of dry, effervescent Prosecco. But, once I did, I knew this dish was something I needed to master. I am happy to say I have finally mastered my best version of that recipe to share with you today.
These juicy, crispy, fragrant, flavorful chops are actually quite quick and easy to prepare and they only require six ingredients including salt and pepper! Fresh sage leaves are the divas of this concert of flavors and textures. I have a couple of sage plants growing in my gardens, they grow to be beautiful hedges about 4′ x 4′ in size and beautifully complement the surrounding flowers. I probably use the branches more in flower arrangements than for culinary endeavors, until now. If you haven’t planted any yet, you can usually find fresh sage in the produce section of your market.
Brown Butter Sage Pork Chops
yield: 4 splendid chops
Ingredients
4 Frenched pork chops {mine were about 2 inches thick}
40 fresh Sage leaves {approximately}
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
Preparation
For best results, leave the chops at room temperature for an hour or so before cooking, allowing them to come to room temperature so they will cook more evenly. Sprinkle both sides of the meat with sea salt and grinds of pepper to your taste. You can use any pork {or veal} chop. I am madly in love with these “Frenched” pork chops from Trader Joe’s! The term “Frenched” just means that the meat has been trimmed from the tip of the bone. These chops are about 2 inches thick, but you can use any thickness, varying the cooking time to achieve an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
Pick the sage leaves from the stems, lightly rinse them and place them on a paper towel, blot to absorb any droplets. Select about 20 of your favorite leaves for garnishing the chops.
Stack the other {unchosen} leaves and thinly slice them. On a large dinner plate spill the flour, sprinkle the salt, grind the pepper and add the sliced sage leaves.
Then toss the ingredients together with your clean, dry fingers and set aside.
In a large skillet melt 3 tablespoons of the salted butter {I prefer Tillamook sea salted, extra creamery butter} over medium heat until golden, frothy and just beginning to brown. I’ve tested this recipe in a cast iron skillet, but actually prefer the results from my non-stick skillet.
Place the whole “chosen leaves” into the butter and allow them to sizzle for 1-2 minutes then use tongs or a fork to turn them over and sizzle until just crisp {about a minute}. Use the tongs or fork to place them on a salad plate {it’s okay if it’s chipped ;}. Set aside. Watch the video from my Instagram feed to see how it looks over there -> -> -> -> ->.
Slide the skillet off of the heat while you prepare your chops. Press the chops into the flour mixture and flip over to lightly coat the other side. You only want a thin dusting of flour. Press the sides of the chops into the flour for a dusting as well. You can pinch up more of the sliced sage leaves to better distribute them on the surfaces.
Return the skillet over medium high heat, add the other tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Then place the chops in the pan and allow them to brown for 2 – 5 minutes {depending on the thickness of your cuts}.
When they’ve reached a nice golden color {with just a bit of char, if you like such things} flip them over and do 2 -5 minutes {depending on the thickness of your cuts} on the other side until they achieve the golden goodness of your desire.
If your chops are thick, use tongs to brown their sides in the bubbly butter.
You can also lay the chops on their sides, leaning them against each other to let the sides brown.
If the color isn’t to your liking after the first searing, you can also brown the cut sides for another minute or two to achieve more color and crunchy texture. Cook the chops until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. I use this Javelin instant read thermometer. Insert the tip into multiple spots, trying to get the tip to the center thickness of the chop to get an accurate/averaged read.
Allow the chops to rest 5-7 minutes. Then top them with the crisped sage leaves and and serve them up.
I hope you enjoy creating this spectacular and pleasing, Italian~influenced creation for your family and friends, I am sure they will love you for your efforts! The chop alone is so satisfying I keep the sides simple, I find just a little wild rice and simply steamed vegetables is all you need.
If you’d like to learn more about OG inspiring chop here is a shot of it, Click on Adventures in the Italian Alps to read more about it and the remarkable Ristorante Trattoria Terme where we first became acquainted.
Buon Appetito!
