Pork Chops

I made pork chops tonight. I use a paste rub (pimenton, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, clove, dried ginger, pepper, fennel seed, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, bay, whatever else strikes my fancy at the moment), browned them in olive oil with minced ginger, added some orange marmelade, vermouth and tamarind syrup, lowered the heat and simmered them till they were done.

I am not getting more specific, because you should experiment. The thing is: balance sweet, spice and tart. Finish with salt.

For sweet (sometimes it can be combined with tart) you can use orange juice, triple sec, Coca Cola, pineapple juice, pomegranite reduction, whatever. Try to keep it fruity: currant preserves are nice, as are prunes or apricot lekvar.

For tart you have myriad vinegars to choose from, dry table wine, sherry, lemon juice, lime juice, cranberry reduction, etc.

For spice, be sure to have ginger and allspice in there, but anything else is up to you and your nose.

If you want to have fun with salt, try rosemary or lavender salt.

Pork is a great food that can go both ways, wine-wise. Or should I say, all three ways, since beer often works too. For a red, I recommend something fruity and not too refined. A zinfandel or shiraz is perfect. For a white, try something crisp like a Gruner Veltliner or an Alsatian riesling or a Bonny Doon Malvasia Bianca. You can pick up the fruit of the dish, or you can pick something minerally to offer a counterpoint.

For a starch, go simple: plain rice, pilaf or oven roasted potatoes.

Serve a simple salad, and you have a meal.