Pork With Red Wine Shallot Reduction and Three Cheese Polenta

Okay, how on earth haven't I posted a pork recipe yet? I know I've used bacon, but...oh, dear reader, I apologize for neglecting you so. Let's get this situation under control immediately. I love pork because it can either be coaxed into being the star of the show or can take a backseat to be the perfect base for great sauces or sides. Here, courtesy of my beloved Black Dog Cookbook is this stunning recipe, with a pork chop (grilled, or if you're sadly grill-less like me, pan-seared), a red wine shallot reduction that I challenge you to not just eat straight out of the pan, and cheesy, creamy polenta that will blow your sweet mind.

I'd never made polenta before (and had only had it once? maybe twice? in a restaurant), and I was anticipating some risotto-level cooking anxiety but I found that it was pretty intuitive and fairly forgiving. And it was so good, so cheesy and warm and wonderful, that I kept having to "test" it to make sure that everything was all right. Quality control, you know. The woman at the grocery store gave me just the slightest bit of flak when I asked her to cut me a few tablespoons' worth of cheese, but you know what? If your cheese lady gives you a 'tude, or if you don't even have a cheese lady, just suck it up, buy the cheese and make an omelette. Or eat it out of the refrigerator. In my experience, where there's cheese, there's a way to eat it.

All in all, this dish was a total winner, though I'm definitely going to try it again when I have access to a grill. The polenta is going to find its way into my life a lot more often. Plus, all of the ingredients are relatively inexpensive (especially if you can get the cheese cut down to size or if you have a discard cheese area at your grocery store), and is definitely classy enough for a get-together, even if you're on a budget.

Pork with Red Wine Shallot Reduction and Three Cheese Polenta (From The Black Dog Cookbook)

Pork and shallot reduction: 
1/2 cup red wine
2 to 3 shallots, sliced thin
1/2 stick butter
4 large pork chops

Polenta:
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup polenta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce
l tbsp blue cheese
1 tbsp chevre
1 tbsp grated parmesan
small bunch parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a grill or heavy skillet with oil. Heat the red wine and shallots ina small saucepan over medium high heat. Cook until the volume is reduced by half. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the butter a bit at a time until dissolved. Set aside and keep warm.

Prepare the polenta. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of the chicken stock to a boil and set aside th erest. Slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the mixture to thicken, but not to dry out. Add more stock if needed.

Add the cream and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 3 cheeses. Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper.

While the polenta is cooking, cook the pork chops for 10-12 minutes, turning, until they are cooked through and ever-so-slightly pink at the center. Spread the polenta on plates and top with the pork chops. Add the shallot butter on top. Serve with peas or sauteed spinach.