2 3/4″ thick lean rib or loin pork chops (1.5 – 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3-4 bottled cherry peppers (hot or sweet), halved and stems and seeds removed
1 sprig fresh marjoram or rosemary
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1T pats
Season both sides of each chop with salt and pepper
Add oil to a heavy skillet and place over medium heat, letting it heat up.
Saute the onion until just soft
Add the chops and cook, turning once, until golden brown on one side, about 5 minutes.
Add the cherry peppers, herbs and garlic to skillet
Pour the wine into the skillet, cover and cook until chops are done, about 5 minutes (140∞).
Remove the chops to plates.
Reduce the heat to low.
Slowly whisk the butter into the skillet to create a beurre monte sauce
Plate – spooning the sauce, peppers and onion over the chops.
(hint: serve with plenty of rustic bread to absorb the delicious sauce)
Buerre monte:
(both the sauce and the method are called buerre monte)
Buerre monte is a process where butter is slowly incorporated without breaking.
Start by whisking the cold butter into the sauce, one or two chunks at a time.
Add more butter whenever the chunks have melted.
Once the emulsion is started, more butter can be added at a time.
Continue adding butter while whisking until one has the desired quantity of beurre montÈ.
The beurre montÈ must then be held warm, but under 190∞ or else it will break.