Pork Loin Chops with Romesco Sauce and Grilled Onions

Name: Pork Loin Chops with Romesco Sauce and Grilled Onions
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish-Portuguese
Ingredients: 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers; 1/3 cup raw almonds; 1 slice sourdough bread, crust removed; 2 garlic cloves; 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar; 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; ; 6 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops, each about 10 oz. and 1<br> inch thick; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Olive oil for brushing; 12 green onions, trimmed but left whole

Romesco sauce goes well with most any grilled food. In fact, grill cooks should serve it more than they do. Paired here with pork chops and green onions, it ups the profile of the menu—it’s good enough for company and easy enough for every day. Turn the green onions carefully so they don’t slip through the grate.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

For the romesco sauce:

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers
1/3 cup raw almonds
1 slice sourdough bread, crust removed
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops, each about 10 oz. and 1
inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil for brushing
12 green onions, trimmed but left whole

Directions

To make the romesco sauce, in a blender, combine the bell peppers, almonds, bread, garlic, vinegar and red pepper flakes and process until fairly smooth. With the machine running, slowly pour in the extra-virgin olive oil and process until the sauce emulsifies. (The sauce can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.)

About 30 minutes before you plan to begin grilling, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Season the chops generously on both sides with salt and black pepper. Brush both sides with olive oil.

Prepare a medium fire in a grill. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Toss the green onions lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Place the chops on the grill directly over the fire and cook until nicely grill-marked, about 5 minutes. Turn the chops over and add the green onions to the grill. Cook the chops until well marked and cooked to your liking, 5 to 7 minutes more for medium, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of a chop, away from the bone, registers 145°F. Transfer the chops to a platter. Turn the green onions over and cook until tender and slightly wilted, about 2 minutes more.

Place the green onions on the platter with the pork chops and serve immediately. Pass the romesco sauce on the side. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Grill Master, by Fred Thompson (Weldon Owen, 2011).