The calendar says spring and it poked its head out occasionally earlier this month, even a touch of summer. However, meals that warm us are still comforting.
I had two pork chops out for dinner one day and was searching for an easy, but
delicious recipe. I found on The New York Times/NYT Cooking app a recipe
by Kay Chun for Herb-Marinated Pork Chops. This recipe had a 15-minute prep and
a cook time of just 25 minutes, wonderful. The twist on this recipe is that the
pork chops are marinated after they are cooked. For the recipe you’ll
need extra-virgin olive oil, pitted green olives, minced shallot, lemon juice,
chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, fresh thyme, salt, pepper
and pork chops no thicker than 1/4-inch thick.
The marinade consists of extra-virgin olive oil, shallot, lemon juice, parsley,
garlic, oregano and thyme sprigs. The mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper.
The pork chops are seasoned with salt and pepper and sautéed in a non-stick skillet
with oil. The meat is cooked about 2 minutes per side then transferred to the
marinade for approximately 15 to 30 minutes, basting and turning periodically;
serve warm or at room temperature. The pork chops turned out very tasty and
flavorful. Preparing the pork this way ensured the meat remained tender and
juicy, yet full of flavor. The combination of herbs and olives gave the meat a
nice complexity of flavor. Overall, a great weeknight recipe for those short on
time, but still want to enjoy a satisfying meal.
For mealtime, I rely mostly on chicken or pork, which is more economical than beef.
Recently I picked up a small whole chicken for dinner and prepared it using a
recipe by Colu Henry, from The New York Times/NYT cooking app for
preparation. Her recipe for Roast Chicken with Maple Butter and Rosemary
sounded delicious with the combination of sweet maple syrup and the herbaceous
flavor of fresh rosemary. The other ingredients include kosher salt, black
pepper and unsalted butter.
On the day I was going to prepare this, it was an unusually warm spring day with
the temperature in the 80’s. Instead of roasting the chicken in the oven, I
decided I would spatchcock the chicken and roast it outside on my gas grill. I
used a black cast iron skillet, but had it raised off the grates with two
bricks to create an outdoor oven.
Once the chicken is spatchcocked, I patted it dry and seasoned both the inside and
outside of the bird with salt and pepper. The rosemary stems were tucked
underneath the chicken. A basting sauce of melted butter, chopped rosemary and
maple syrup covered the chicken as it baked. I basted the chicken as it cooked
until the internal temperature reached approximately 155°; then removed it from
the grill and covered with foil to let the carryover cooking time push the
temperature to 165°.
Yum, oh my gosh the chicken was fabulous. It had a
beautiful golden-brown exterior with moist, tender meat. The maple
butter and rosemary infused the meat with so much flavor. Spatchcocking the
chicken cut down the cooking time. If you’re in need of a new recipe for roasted chicken, I highly recommend Ms. Henry’s recipe.
My last New York Times/NYT cooking recipe is from Carolina Gelen and her
recipe for Miso-Maple Sheet-Pan Chicken with Brussels Sprouts. This recipe
calls for white miso, which I had a hard time locating at my local food stores,
but I did find it at my local Trader Joe’s. You’ll also need for the recipe,
maple syrup, extra-virgin olive oil, ground cumin, Brussels sprouts (trimmed
and halved) and boneless chicken breasts cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes.
This recipe was so easy to prepare and it takes about 35 minutes from start to
finish. The quick turnaround time can be attributed to using boneless chicken
and cooking at 425°.
The marinade consists of the miso, maple syrup, olive oil and cumin that is whisked
together until emulsified. A quarter cup is reserved and the balance is added
to a bowl along with the Brussels sprouts and chicken cubes. It’s tossed until
everything is well coated. I spread this on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet
and baked for 8 minutes. The remaining marinade was poured over the pan and 4
more minutes of roasting. To finish, the sheet pan is placed under the broiler
for a minute or two or until the chicken is cooked through and both the chicken
and Brussels sprouts are charred.
Wow, what a flavorsome meal! My husband loved the dish as did I. The ratio of miso
to maple syrup was perfect, not too sweet and neither one dominated. In the
background you could taste the cumin in the sauce. It provided an earthy
flavor, giving the sauce some warmth with a gentle hint of bitterness. Placing
the meal under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, charred both the chicken and
Brussels sprouts adding yet another texture and flavor to the dish. A winner,
winner of a chicken dinner.
Herb-Marinated Pork Chops
By Kay Chun
The New YorkTimes/NYT Cooking
March 1, 2024
Total Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried oregano
3 thyme sprigs
Salt and pepper
4 (5-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, pounded very thinly (no thicker than ¼ inch)
Preparation
- In a large shallow dish, combine all but 1 tablespoon of the oil with the olives, shallot, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Season the pork chops all over with salt and pepper and add 2 pieces to the skillet. Cook until golden underneath, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until golden on the second side and cooked through, 1½ to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to the marinade and turn to coat. Repeat with the remaining 2 pork chops.
- Let the chops marinate, turning and basting occasionally, for 15 to 30 minutes. Serve right away, warm or at room temperature, or refrigerate and enjoy chilled within 3 days.
Roast Chicken with
Maple Butter and Rosemary
By Colu Henry
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 (3½-pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 to 3 rosemary sprigs, plus 2½ teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season it well with salt and pepper, both inside and out. Place the chicken breast-side up in a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet and stuff the rosemary sprigs into the bird's cavity.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the chopped rosemary and the maple syrup, and cook together until the rosemary is fragrant and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon all of the mixture over the chicken, making sure it is evenly covered. A decent amount will end up on the bottom of the pan, and that’s O.K.
- Roast the chicken, basting with the pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes or so, until the chicken is glossy and golden brown and registers 165 degree with an instant thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, about 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste an additional time, if desired. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Whisk remaining juice and pass at the table.
Miso-Maple Sheet-Pan
Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
By Carolina Gelen
The New York Times/NYT Cooking
Updated March 2, 2025
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
⅓ cup white miso
⅓ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 to 4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into 1½-inch cubes (6 to 8 pieces per breast), patted dry
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- To a medium bowl that is large enough to fit the chicken and Brussels sprouts, add the miso, maple syrup, olive oil and cumin; whisk until emulsified. Set aside and reserve a scant ¼ cup (about 3 tablespoons) of the mixture for later. Add the Brussels sprouts and chicken to the bowl and toss to coat using a flexible spatula.
- Add everything to the baking sheet, arranging everything in a single layer. Scrape any marinade left in the bowl over the mixture on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and daub the reserved 3 tablespoons marinade on top of the chicken and Brussels sprouts. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for 4 minutes more.
- Heat the broiler. Place the baking sheet right underneath it and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and slightly charred on top. Serve warm.