Unheralded

CHEF JEFF: One Byte At A Time — Pork Medallion and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

Older cooks will remember when stainless steel and nonstick skillets became the rage the 1950s and ’60s, taking the drudgery out of preparing meals. In fact, many people tossed aside their beloved cast iron that had been around for ages.

But these days, the former kitchen staple once again finds itself in vogue in kitchens around the country. And it’s for good reason. Cast iron is the perfect choice for searing, sauteing, simmering, braising, baking, roasting or frying. And more than a nonstick or stainless steel pan, cast iron takes on the flavors of whatever it’s cooking.

Therese and I love our cast iron cookware. We have a couple of nice Dutch ovens as well as several frying pans, and not a day or two goes by when we don’t use one of them.

One of the things I find especially appealing about cast iron cookware is that it is perfect for one-pot meals, like the following pork chop dinner, complete with potatoes and vegetables, and all of which fit nicely into a our large 11-inch-wide-by-3-inch-deep skillet. All that goodness in one pot, juicy and flavorful.

That’s what I call love.

Pork Medallion and Vegetable Skillet Dinner
4 pork loin or rib chops, 1-inch thick, bone removed
¼ cup chicken broth
6 medium potatoes, cut into fourths or 12 to 16 small new potatoes
4 to small carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, cut into fourths
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cornstarch (if needed)
Remove fat from pork. Spray 12-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet with cooking spray or 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Add broth, potatoes, carrots, onions, red pepper flakes and Creole seasoning to skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 30 to 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender and pork is slightly pink. Serve with dinner salad.




One thought on “CHEF JEFF: One Byte At A Time — Pork Medallion and Vegetable Skillet Dinner”

  • Naomi Dunavan March 3, 2016 at 12:08 pm

    Tiede — In the U.S. Navy in Japan, Jim worked for an Admiral A.J. Hill, who had 30 some ships under his command. Admiral Hill and his wife became and remained very dear friends of Jim’s, and when Jim got out of the Navy (after 4 years), the Hills helped him set up his bachelor pad kitchen in Chula Vista, Calif. Among the things they gave him was a black square cast iron skillet. That skillet has been an important part of our cooking for the past 51 years. We love it still. .

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