Roasted Pork Chops with Cipollini Onions, White Beans, and Escarole

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

This has been one of our go-to weekend recipes for a while but we haven't posted it.  Fortunately with the storm, I now have plenty of time to catch up on posting recipes!

This recipe comes to us from Esquire, Michael's favorite men's magazine, and they do actually have pretty good recipes every once in a while.  Probably the hardest part about this recipe is finding cipollini onions and escarole at the super market at the same time!  But when you do (like we did this weekend), it's time to make this delicious meal!

INGREDIENTS
4 shoulder or loin pork chops, 1½ inch thick
salt and pepper
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
8 cipollini onions, peeled
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
1 sprig rosemary
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked white beans
2 cups packed shredded escarole
1 lemon

For the marinade:
2 sprigs rosemary
3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

To marinate, combine pork chops with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil in a ziplock bag and let sit in the refrigerator for up to three days. On the day you're cooking, remove and bring to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove pork from marinade and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and, once hot, add the pork chops. Let cook for three minutes, then flip and cook for three minutes more. Place pan directly into the oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. The pork is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. Remove from oven and let rest.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Combine butter with 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and brown all over, using tongs to flip. Sprinkle with sugar, deglaze with red-wine vinegar, and cook until liquid is evaporated. Add rosemary and chicken stock. Return to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until onions are soft. Remove the onions and set aside, reserving the liquid to dress the pork chop.

Heat a second sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp oil and, when hot, add garlic and sauté one minute. Add the white beans and sauté five minutes more. Add escarole and sauté two minutes more, until escarole is wilted. Season with salt and pepper and top with lemon juice and remaining oil.

To serve, top pork chops with white-bean-escarole sauté and onions and drizzle with onion jus.