Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
I am sure you all, at some point in your school life or later, have heard of Odysseus. He was one of the Greeks who fought against Trojans in the Trojan War and his achievements along with his idea to build a huge horse inside which Greek soldiers hid and eventually conquered Troy after ten years of war made him eternal.
But apart from his vital and determinant role in the war, Odysseus was famous for his almost endless trip back home. Poseidon the god of sea got very angry at him because he blinded his son Polyphemus and so he made his return by sea almost impossible.
One of Odysseus many destinations before he finally got home was the island of Kirke. Kirke was a nymph with magical powers. She transformed whoever arrived to her island in an animal. When Odysseus arrived at the island sent his soldiers to search the island. Kirke invited everyone to her palace which was in a glade inside a forest to have a meal with her. In their food she had added a magic potion and after they have ended their meal, they were transformed in pigs. Only one of them, who somehow suspected that something was wrong, didn’t eat anything and so he went to Odysseus and he recounted the whole story.
Odysseus decided to go and save his friends from the witch/nymph. While he was walking, god Hermes appeared in front of him and instructed him to eat a special herb that would make him immune to Kirke’s magic. Indeed Odysseus arrived at the palace and Kirke, just as she always did, invited him to eat with her. Odysseus ate everything that was served to him and because he had eaten the herb, he managed to retain his human form. Kirke was extremely impressed not only by this, but also by his handsomeness. She agreed to give Odysseus’ companions their human form again and she asked them to stay in the island as her guests for as long as they wanted.
Eventually Kirke and Odysseus became lovers and he and his crew stayed at this island for over a year. Nevertheless, his nostalgia for his country and his love for his wife and son forced him to leave Kirke and the good life in the island and continue his trip back home. If you want my opinion, my guess is that he eventually got bored of Kirke and so he decided to move on to new adventures.
It has been quite some time since I last made pork, so I thought that it would be a great idea to buy some chops and bake them along with French fries which are kids’ favorite. They were delicious and juicy especially aromatic with the marinade and we all enjoyed them very much. It was a very easy meal, but packed with flavors. I will definitely make them again perhaps with mashed potatoes this time.
- 35 gr. / 1 oz. Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 onion, sliced
- 60 gr. / 2 oz. Balsamic vinegar
- 2 fresh rosemary sticks
- 3 fresh thyme sticks
- 1 tbsp dried sage
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 8 pork chops without the bone
- All the ingredients of the marinade
- 50 gr. / 2 oz. Olive oil
- 60 gr. / 2 oz. Balsamic vinegar
- 400 gr. / 14 oz. Chicken stock
- 2 tbsp honey
- 60 gr. / 2 oz. Butter
- Either in a resealable bag or in a glass bowl put the pork chops and all the ingredients of the marinade and mix well so as the marinade to cover the chops.
- Put in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
- Remove the chops from the marinade and separate the solids from the liquids of the marinade.
- Place the chops on a pan covered with parchment paper salt and pepper them and bake either under the broiler or in the oven.
- I baked them under the broiler for about 20 minutes.
- The time depends on the thickness of the chops.
- Mine were thin and were ready quickly.
- In the meantime prepare the sauce.
- In a skillet in medium heat add the olive oil and the solids of the marinade, that is, the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage and the lemon zest.
- Sauté for three minutes.
- At this point I removed the herbs and threw the balsamic vinegar.
- If you want more intense flavor of the herbs leave them in until the end of the cooking process.
- Pour the balsamic vinegar and continue to sauté until evaporates more than half of it.
- Pour the chicken stock and lower heat to low.
- Simmer until the sauce starts to thicken.
- It took me about ten minutes.
- When the sauce starts to thicken, throw the honey and butter and whisk until they are fully incorporated to the batter.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you have left the herbs, don’t forget to remove them from the sauce at this point.
- Let it simmer for couple of minutes and turn off the fire.
- Place the chops on a plate and pour the sauce on top of them.
- They were perfect with French fries but I suspect they will go equally perfectly with mashed potatoes too.
- 35 γρ. ελαιόλαδο
- 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 κρεμμύδι, κομμένο σε φέτες
- 60 γρ. βαλσαμικό ξύδι
- 2 κλωναρια φρέσκο δεντρολίβανο
- 3 κλωνάρια φρέσκο θυμάρι
- 1 κ.σ. αποξηραμένο φασκόμηλο
- Το ξύσμα από 1 λεμόνι
- 8 χοιρινές μπριζόλες χωρίς το κόκκαλο
- Όλα τα υλικά της μαρινάδας
- 50 γρ. ελαιόλαδο
- 60 γρ. βαλσαμικό ξύδι
- 400 γρ. ζωμό κότας
- 2 κ.σ. μέλι
- 60 γρ. Μαργαρίνη ή βούτυρο
- Είτε σε μια πλαστική σακούλα κατάλληλη για τρόφιμα ή σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ βάλτε τις χοιρινές μπριζόλες και όλα τα συστατικά για το μαρινάρισμα και ανακατέψτε μέχρι η μαρινάδα να καλύψει τις μπριζόλες.
- Βάλτε στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον δύο ώρες ή όλη νύχτα.
- Βγάλτε τις μπριζόλες από τη μαρινάδα και ξεχωρίστε τα στερεά από τα υγρά της μαρινάδας.
- Τοποθετήστε τις μπριζόλες σε ένα ταψί που έχετε καλύψει με χαρτί ψησίματος.
- Αλατοπιπερώστε και ψήστε στο φούρνο είτε στο γκριλ.
- Εγώ τα έψησα στο γκριλ για περίπου 20 λεπτά.
- Ο χρόνος εξαρτάται από το πάχος του της μπριζόλας.
- Εμένα ήταν λεπτές και ετοιμάστηκαν γρήγορα.
- Στο μεταξύ ετοιμάστε τη σάλτσα.
- Σε μια κατσαρόλα σε μέτρια φωτιά, προσθέστε το ελαιόλαδο και τα στερεά του μαριναρίσματος, δηλαδή, το κρεμμύδι, σκόρδο, δεντρολίβανο, θυμάρι, φασκόμηλο και το ξύσμα λεμονιού.
- Σοτάρετε για τρία λεπτά.
- Στο σημείο αυτό έβγαλα τα μυρωδικά και έριξα το βαλσαμικό ξίδι.
- Αν θέλετε πιο έντονη γεύση από τα μυρωδικά αφήστε τα μέσα μέχρι το τέλος του μαγειρέματος.
- Ρίξτε το βαλσαμικό ξίδι και συνεχίστε να σοτάρετε μέχρι να εξατμιστεί περισσότερο από το μισό του.
- Ρίξτε το ζωμό κοτόπουλου και χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά σε χαμηλή.
- Σιγοβράστε μέχρι η σάλτσα να αρχίσει να γίνεται πιο παχύρευστη.
- Μου πήρε περίπου δέκα λεπτά.
- Όταν η σάλτσα αρχίζει να πήζει, ρίξτε το μέλι και το βούτυρο και ανακατέψτε μέχρι να ενσωματωθούν.
- Προσθέστε αλάτι και πιπέρι.
- Εάν έχετε αφήσει τα μυρωδικά, μην ξεχάσετε να τα αφαιρέσετε από τη σάλτσα σε αυτό το σημείο.
- Αφήστε το να σιγοβράσει για μερικά λεπτά και σβήστε τη φωτιά.
- Τοποθετήστε τις μπριζόλες σε ένα πιάτο και ρίξτε τη σάλτσα από πάνω τους.
- Ήταν τέλεια με πατάτες τηγανιτές αλλά υποψιάζομαι ότι θα πάνε εξίσου τέλεια με πουρέ.
