Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Sauce and Butternut Squash Purée

Name: Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Sauce and Butternut Squash Purée
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 (2-lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed; 1 (2") piece fresh ginger, quartered lengthwise; 2 tbsp. butter; 1 tsp. herb salt; 2 tsp. brown sugar; 1 tbsp. sliced almonds; 8 (8-oz.) loin pork chops, 1" thick, trimmed; 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; Salt; 1 cup vermouth; 1 3 ⁄ 4 cups heavy cream; 3 oz. Danish blue cheese, crumbled; Freshly ground white pepper

Serves
serves 4

CHRISTOPHER HIRSHEIMER

For this recipe always use the best-quality corn-fed pork available, counseled Alan Hooker, founder of the Ranch House Restaurant in Ojai Valley, California.

Ingredients

For the Purée

1 (2-lb.) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 (2") piece fresh ginger, quartered lengthwise
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. herb salt
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. sliced almonds

For the Pork Chops and Sauce

8 (8-oz.) loin pork chops, 1" thick, trimmed
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1 cup vermouth
1 ³⁄₄ cups heavy cream
3 oz. Danish blue cheese, crumbled
Freshly ground white pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

For the purée: Put squash and ginger in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until soft, 30–35 minutes. Remove and discard ginger. Drain squash and mash to a coarse purée. Stir in butter, herb salt, and brown sugar. Cover and keep warm.

Step 2

For the sauce: Bring vermouth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add cream and return to a boil. Reduce sauce by one-third, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in cheese, and season with pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Step 3

Place an oiled grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush chops with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill until just cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. To serve, divide sauce among four plates. Put chops on top of sauce. Serve with a dollop of squash on the side, sprinkled with almonds.

For the purée: Put squash and ginger in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until soft, 30–35 minutes. Remove and discard ginger. Drain squash and mash to a coarse purée. Stir in butter, herb salt, and brown sugar. Cover and keep warm.
For the sauce: Bring vermouth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add cream and return to a boil. Reduce sauce by one-third, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in cheese, and season with pepper. Cover and keep warm.
Place an oiled grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush chops with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill until just cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. To serve, divide sauce among four plates. Put chops on top of sauce. Serve with a dollop of squash on the side, sprinkled with almonds.