Sweet, textured, fresh and fatty, the combination of corn and pork is nothing new for great reasons. And while we love a rich, slow cooked polenta alla spianatora during the colder months of the year, this fresh and vibrant iteration is hard to beat. The corn succotash with Sweet Pepper Pesto lays a light and flavorful foundation for this dish, allowing the pork chop to add depth and fat and the vibrant, acidic salsa verde to brighten it. 

We recommend enjoying this flavorful dish with a chilled Frappato and our favorite date night Spotify playlist. 

SICILIAN PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET PEPPER CORN SUCCOTASH

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

▢ 2 bone-in pork chops
▢ Pinzimonio Herb Blend
▢ 6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
▢ 1 cup sweet corn (frozen or fresh)
▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1 lemon
▢ 2 tbsp butter
▢ 4 tbsp Sweet Pepper Pesto
▢ 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
▢ 2 tbsp minced shallots
▢ 1 tsp red wine vinegar
▢ salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, add the cilantro, shallots, vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, and 2 tbsp olive oil with a pinch of salt and mix together. Set aside.
3. Pat the pork chops dry on both sides with a clean towel. Season with Pinzimonio Seasoning and a pinch of salt.
4. If you're using fresh corn, shuck and shave the corn from the husk. Bring a medium-sized pan over medium heat and add 2tbsp olive oil, butter, corn, garlic and a pinch of salt.   Sauté until the corn has softened and the garlic is beginning to brown; roughly 3 minutes. remove from heat and stir in the Sweet Pepper Pesto.
5. Bring a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan over high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. You want to make sure the oil is searing hot before adding the pork chops to the pan. If you move the pan, the oil should ripple in ribbons when it's hot enough. Add the pork chops and allow them to sear until crisp and brown, roughly 3 minutes. Turn them onto the other side and place the pan into the oven for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Serve over the corn and spoon the salsa verde overtop. 
6. Mangiamo.