Pan-fried pork chops with olives and sage

Name: Pan-fried pork chops with olives and sage
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Allow two 1cm thick pork loin chops per person; salt and pepper; extra virgin olive oil; a good handful of fresh sage leaves; 2/3 of a cup of pitted black olives (Ligurian taggiasche are ideal)

Steve Manfredi

October 19, 2011

Pan fried pork chops with olives and sage.Quentin Jones

Time:< 30 minsServes:3

Perhaps the most useful fat in culinary terms is that of the pig. Without pig fat there would be no sausages, salami, prosciutto, bacon, ham, crackling, pork belly and countless other succulent things.

Ingredients

Allow two 1cm thick pork loin chops per person
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
a good handful of fresh sage leaves
2/3 of a cup of pitted black olives (Ligurian taggiasche are ideal)

Method

Allow two 1cm thick pork loin chops per person. Ask your butcher to trim the rind off each one.
Make sure the chops come out of the refrigerator a good half hour before cooking so they come to near room temperature. Season each one with a little salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy skillet until it easily slides around. Place the pork chops in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on the first side so the flesh is golden brown. Turn to cook the other side. Once turned, scatter a good handful of fresh sage leaves in the pan as well as 2/3 of a cup of pitted black olives (Ligurian taggiasche are ideal).
Fry for 2 minutes until the sage leaves are crisp then serve.