Oh yeah, the pork chops!

So, I totally must have made an awesome dinner the other night because only after we had all devoured our food did I remember I wanted to take a picture for all of you to see what I had concocted. So much for that! I guess now I will just have to tell you about it.

I didn't end up stuffing them like I originally planned, because if I did that I wanted to grill them. The day was rainy and windy and un-grill-friendly, so I decided to warm the house with the oven. I decided to take a recipe I learned in school and twist it into something that was my own, and that is exactly what I did.

While at Dillon's on 21st street here in Topeka, I picked up some Humboldt Fog - a blue-veined goat's cheese that

is from California. This particular Dillon's has an extensive selection of cheeses, and will also let you try them before you buy them. I also picked up some pancetta which is like bacon, just cured differently, and rolled up instead of in strips. Usually it is sliced very thin ad you can

see the peppercorns embedded in the meat - very good.

I took the pancetta and wrapped my 1-inch thick pork chops in it - and seared them, then baked them until they were finished. Before I put them in the oven I topped them with my Humboldt Fog which I had worked into some panko crumbs, to kind of make a melty crust.

For my other sides I made corn on the cob, which I wanted to also grill but decided to boil them in some lightly salted and buttered water. For my starch, I roasted some red new potatoes which I tossed in my fresh purple basil, olive oil, salt and pepper and dried thyme, with just a splash of red wine vinegar. I marinated the potatoes for about and hour before I roasted th

em, but you don't have to do that if you don't have time.

The best part of the meal was the balsamic vinegar that I reduced to a syrup and drizzle

d over the pork chops. All I did was buy some semi-expensive aged balsamic vinegar and reduce it until it was syrupy but not real thick either. When doing this, one does not want to boil the vinegar, but simmer it, just remember small bubbles. This stuff is addicting and I was dipping my potatoes in it, which was scrumptious.

This meal is totally doable by anyone, and doesn't really take that long. A lot of it you can do before hand and then throw it in the oven and boil some corn, or even steam som

e

vegetables.

This meal was apparently so good I was too busy trying to eat it, I forgot to take any pictures, but I did take some before I made it to show you the products I used so you can buy them yourself.

Please try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Next week I am going to try some new recipes with grilling burgers, so stay tuned!