Pepper Rubbed Pork Chops With Warm Bacon And Cabbage Salad

Directions

1. To prepare the salad, place the bacon in a medium saute/fry pan and cook over medium heat till crispy, about 3 min. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain. Add in the garlic and onion to the pan and saute/fry in the bacon grease over medium-high heat for about 2 min. Add in the sherry and cook till reduced by half, 3 to 4 min. Add in the cabbage and cook till tender, about 4 min. Add in the sherry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, thyme, and walnuts and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep hot till ready to use.
2. To prepare the pork chops, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub the meat with the black pepper and season with the salt. Put the flour on a plate and dredge the chops in the flour. Pat the chops gently to remove any excess flour.
3. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a very large, ovenproof saute/fry pan over high heat till smoking warm. Add in the pork chops and sear for 2 min on each side.
4. Place in the oven and cook for about 8 min, or possibly till the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees (use and instant-read meat thermometer to test). Remove from the oven.
5. To serve, place 1 pork chop on each plate. Spoon some of the cabbage salad alongside the chops and serve immediately.