Fennel is one of my favorite things to work with – sliced thin and eaten raw or slowly braised, it has a wonderful sweetness with a delicate hint of anise. A few of you may curl your nose as you are not a fan of fennel seeds (found in Italian sausage), but I urge you to give this a try! It may look somewhat daunting to work with, but I assure you it’s rather easy. Cut off the green tops and save the wispy leaves – these are completely edible and make for a very fancy garnish. The remaining bulb can be treated just like an onion. Cut that bad boy in half and slice it into inch-long slivers.
When it comes to picking your meat, I’m always a fan of a thicker pork chop. And a huge bonus if you can find one bone-in! Trichinosis in pork is somewhat a thing of the past, so don’t cook these like your grandma used to. A little pink is totally safe and well worth the extra flavor!
The harissa is a rather tasty touch, but will turn things a little brown as it caramelizes. If you want to preserve all those pretty colors, but want that extra heat, swap it out for chili flakes.
Ingredients
- 2 center-cut pork chops, 1″ thick
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced into 1″ slivers
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. harissa (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add fennel, shallots, and tomatoes and season with a generous pinch of salt to help draw out the moisture.
- Preheat grill to high heat
- Stir every 5 minutes or so, allowing the fennel to slightly caramelize. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes, reducing heat to medium-low if the caramelization is occurring too rapidly. Add harissa your last five minutes if you want to kick up the flavor an extra notch!
- When you have about 10 minutes left of the veggie hash, season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Grill for about 3 minutes on each side on medium-high heat or until cooked to medium-well. If you’re unsure the doneness of your chop, use this awesome trick here
- Assemble the chop and fennel hash and garnish with fennel tops. Enjoy this quick and healthy dinner!