Peach Salsa and a Grilled Pork Chop
Fresh local peaches, burgundy spring onion, chilies and a touch of Guajillo honey over a thick, grilled pork chop..
Lightly coat a fresh, uncured thick pork chop with olive oil. Season with S&P and refrigerate 2 hours, turning once.
Meanwhile, steep a dried chihuacle (chee-WAH-lee) negro in hot water for an hour or until soft. Split, remove the stem and seeds and heat in a dry skillet to release a little of its oil. The fruity, medium-hot chihuacle negro comes from Oaxaca, where it is traditionally used in mole. Try Melissa Guerra if you can’t find these locally.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, then turn off the heat. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a small x in the bottom of your peaches, then place them in the water and blanch for 45 seconds. With a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the peaches to a bowl of ice water.
Once cooled, the peaches should easily slip free of their skins. Remove the pits and coarsely chop, placing the fruit into a non-reactive bowl.
Chop the garlic, onion, coriander, parsley, Anaheim pepper and chihuacle and add to the peaches. Add a spoonful of Guajillo honey and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with a little salt and refrigerate 1 hour. Optionally, add 2 tablespoons of whey and allow to ferment on the counter for 2 days before transferring to the refrigerator.
Grill the pork chop in a ribbed skillet as you would a steak. Deglaze the pan with some of the chihuacle steeping water and add a piece of soft cinnamon. Reduce slightly and add a spoonful of honey, coating the chop on all sides.
Serve with peppery arugula and plenty of peach salsa.
