One Pan Pork Chops with Artichokes

Perfect for making a weeknight meal feel like a feast, try this one-pan recipe for pork chops with artichokes, ready in under 45 minutes!

Are you getting tired of the same old pork dish and looking for something new? Try my one pan pork chops with artichokes and have your palate revived. I was nosing around an old book on Nicoise cooking and came across this interesting title 'Poor Man's Pork Chop with Artichokes'. I was intrigued, what one country defines as poor man's food, another calls a gourmet delicacy.Upon deeper inspection, I noticed something else peculiar in the recipe, the addition of cornichon, or small French pickles. I had a hard time visualizing the combination; pork with cornichon is classic, pork with artichokes sounds feasible, but the two mixed together almost sounds like when Reese's peanut butter cups were invented. It reminded me of my recent pork and pastis post when I combined two different things you would never see in the same pan together to spectacular results.I do my main shopping every Saturday morning at the Portland State University farmers market. When I return home, I usually am tired and looking for something quick and delicious to make for lunch, my families principal meal of the day. The flavors of pork, artichokes and rose will transport you back to the South of France.  

One Pan Pork Chops with Artichokes

Perfect for making a weeknight meal feel like a feast; this one pan pork chops with artichokes is ready in under 45 minutes!

• 16 baby artichokes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic (mashed)
• 2 sage leaves (chopped)
• 4 pork chops
• to taste sea salt, black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 1 cup rose wine, preferably Provencal
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed in a little water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 24 cornichon (little French pickles) (sliced thinly lengthwise)

1. Trim off the stem side of the baby artichokes, then remove the tougher outer leaves, and trim the top 1/4 inch off. Slice artichokes thinly then saute in hot olive oil quickly, about five minutes, then remove from pan.

2. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence then saute in pan. You may need to add a little more olive oil. Cook pork on each side for about five minutes then remove.

3. Deglaze pan with rose wine and let cook for a few moments. Mix cornstarch and water, then whisk into sauce. The idea is to minimally thicken. If you have a lot of little bits in your sauce you could strain in but it is not necessary.

4. Add cornichon, artichokes and pork chops and serve. Depending on how thick your pork chops are you may need to cook them longer. I would advise cooking in the rose with artichoke on a very low temperature. This will keep the chops juicy and delicious. Bon appetit!.

The inspiration came from Jacques Medecin's book Cuisine Nicoise. It is a simple to make dish that will become a fixture in your meal rotation. It is easily embellished with fresh basil and/or parsley and made equally well without artichokes or even cornichon.