Grilled Rack of Pork with Balsamic braised apples, crisp vegetable chips and mashed potatoes

Spring 2005

Serves four

The Pork Chop

• 4 12-ounce double-bone Frenched
• pork chops
• 4 ounces  olive oil
• 1 stem fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

Season pork chops with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Combine olive oil, fresh rosemary and minced garlic and marinate pork for 12 to 24 hours. Grill pork chops on both sides to seal and place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Check temperature in the center of the chops with thermometer. An internal temperature of 160 degrees must be reached.

Balsamic Braised Apples

• 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and diced into quarter-inch cubes
• 2 ounces melted butter
• 2 ounces honey
• 2 ounces Balsamic vinegar

Place butter in sauté pan over medium heat and cook apples for approximately two minutes. Add the honey and Balsamic

vinegar and simmer until apples are tender.

Vegetable Chips

• 1 fresh beet  
• 1 bundle fresh chives (cut into 6-7 inch lengths)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• salt and pepper

Peel and cut the beet into thin chips then dust with flour. Cook in deep-fat fryer until crisp and place on paper towel to drain. Fry chives in deep-fat fryer, these will cook extremely fast (approximately 15-20 seconds). Season with salt and pepper.

Mashed Potatoes

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Add to a large pot of water.

Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until tender (approximately 15 minutes). Drain the potatoes and mash by your method of choice. Blend in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the blue cheese crumbles.

Plated Presentation

Divide the potatoes between dinner plates, placing in the center of plate.
Place pork chops on top of potatoes.
Ladle apples over pork chop.
Garnish with vegetable chips.