cote de porc a la charcutiere

i have a small crush on anthony bourdain.

i love no reservations and have read most of his books.
this being said, for some reason i haven't made any of the recipes from the les halles cookbook.
i finally pushed aside the trepidation i feel about french cooking and gave a couple of the recipes a whirl.

the cote de porc was amazing, and was really no big deal to pull off. i did, however, briefly grasp the searing hot handle of the saute pan after it came out of the oven. someday i'll learn...
i served the cote de porc with pommes puree (also from les halles) and sauteed spinach. here's the rundown:

cote de porc a la charcutiere
(from anthony bourdain's les halles cookbook)

1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
4 rib chops of pork (approx 10 oz each)
salt & pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp wondra flour or all purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup dark, strong chicken or veal stock
2 tbs dijon mustard
10 cornichons, thinly sliced
1 sprig of flat parsley, chopped

preheat oven to 375. in an oven safe saute pan, heat oil, then butter. season the chops with salt and pepper, then sear in the hot pan for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. transfer the pan to the oven and cook for another 8 minutes. remove the pan from the oven and remove the chops. set them aside on a platter, loosely covered with foil, while you make the sauce.
return the saute pan to the heat, add the onion. cook until golden brown. add the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute. stir in the wine and reduce by half, scraping. add the stock. reduce the liquid by half. remove the pan from heat and whisk in the mustard. add the cornichons, the parsley, and any nice juice that has run off the cooked chops. adjust the seasoning. arrange pork chops on platter and pour over sauce.


pommes puree
(from anthony bourdain's les halles cookbook)

6 idaho potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 tbs salt, plus more to taste
2 c heavy cream
6 tbs butter
freshly ground pepper

place potatoes in the large pot and add enough water to completely cover them. add the 1 tbs salt and bring to a boil. let the potatoes cook in the boiling water for about 15 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with the tip of a knife. drain the potatoes, discarding water, and when they are cool enough to handle, but still hot, slip them from their skins. in a small pot, combine heavy cream & butter and bring to a boil. return potatoes to the large pot and mash them. pour milk & butter into potatoes in increments and mix well. don't overwork potatoes. season with salt and pepper.


sauteed spinach

6-8 cups fresh spinach
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed with flat side of a chef's knife

heat the oil in a large skillet. add garlic. cook until softened but not burned. remove garlic. add spinach and turn until just wilted. do not overcook.