With only a handful of ingredients, this is a dish dominated by the title items of pork and olives, so be forewarned, if you don’t like either, don’t bother with it. Distasteful of olives as a kid, I’ve developed a real appreciation, and this recipe from Sara Moulton packs a lot of flavor into a fairly simple effort.
The toughest part is flattening the meat, and after using a rolling pin for this effort, I went out and bought one of the hammer style tools with a fairly wide and heavy square head on one side and a tenderizer on the other. Eventually I hope to get one of the larger models made just for pounding, with a nice big and heavy round base at the bottom of a handle, but they are a bit pricey.
The chops are coated with nothing but flour, and that worked well. I’m sure it’s one reason the sauce thickens when they are put in to warm up for serving.
I thought this tasted so good I look forward to making it again soon. MT agreed. In fact, just writing about it makes me want to head out and get some more chops and olives.
Dobru Chut!
Pork in Olive Sauce Sara Moulton
4 thin boneless pork chops
Kosher salt and freshly black pepper
All-purpose flour for coating the chops
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
⅓ cup sliced or chopped pimento-stuffed Spanish green olives
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Additional kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sprinkle a small amount of water on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place half of the pork slices on top of the plastic and sprinkle again with water. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about ¼-inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pork.
Spread out the flour on a piece of parchment. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Meanwhile, season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper and dip them in the flour, coating them on both sides and shaking off the excess. Add the cutlets to the skillet and saute until golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil.
Add the sherry to the skillet and simmer, stirring to pick up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, until almost evaporated. Add the chicken stock and the olives. Simmer for 3 minutes. Return the pork to the skillet with any juices that have accumulated on the platter and simmer, turning often, until warmed through and the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to warm serving plates. Stir 1 tablespoon unsalted butter into the sauce and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the cutlets and serve at once.