Herb-Smoked Pork Chops with Succotash

Source: Lisa P., Blacksburg, Va.

Grand Prize Winner of the Food Freedom Recipe Contest.

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 tablespoon White wine

3 to 4 tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard

Fresh or dried herbs: rosemary, lavender, sage, and thyme

1.5 inch thick, 1-pound pork chops

Salt

Pepper

Pork chops:

Stir a little bit of olive oil and white wine, about a tablespoon total, into mustard. Add a pinch of chopped fresh or dried herbs. Coat pork chops with the mustard mixture. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour coals in a grill and place more herbs on top of the coals and let them smoke for about two minutes. Add the pork chops and cook, covered, until desired tenderness, turning once or twice to char the outside. For medium-done, remove at about 150°F. Let the pork chops sit for 5 minutes before eating.

1 bag frozen baby lima beans

1 small onion

1 small or ½ medium large red pepper

1 carrot

1 fennel bulb (optional)

2 tablespoons bacon fat

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 cloves minced garlic

1 to 2 minced chilies (jalapeno, Serrano, cayenne or others)

Fresh sage

Fresh thyme

Salt

Pepper

Dried red pepper flakes (optional)

4 to 6 ears of fresh corn (or 1 bag frozen)

1 tablespoon butter

Chopped fresh parsley and cilantro

Crumbled bacon or pine nuts (optional)

Succotash:

Prepare frozen lima beans by simmering for 15 to 20 minutes. Dice and sauté over medium to medium-high heat the onion, red pepper, carrot and fennel bulb (optional) in bacon fat and olive oil until translucent. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in minced garlic, chilies, fresh sage and thyme with salt, pepper and dried pepper flakes (optional) to taste. Cook for one to two minutes. Add in corn kernels, their milk (if fresh) and prepared lima beans. Warm through. Stir in butter. Finish with fresh parsley and cilantro. Optional garnish of crumbled bacon or pine nuts.

Note: Lisa uses generously-sized pork chops from Garden Mountain Farm in Burke, Va. They are about 1 lb each. The pork chop part of the recipe serves two hearty appetites or three to four smaller appetites. The succotash recipe serves four hearty appetites or six smaller appetites. Visit Lisa’s Web site www.cookinginasmalltown.com for more recipes.

Lisa recommends Albarino wine with pork or any other medium-bodied, crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon blanc, or a rose wine. The smoky flavors in the recipe would also pair with earthy, smoky reds, such as Bourgognes, Malbec and Tannat.