Pork Chops with Apple, Fennel and Green Bean Salad

This is another great midweek meal. It requires a tiny bit of time to blanch the beans and make the salt rub for the chops but it's minimal, and so worth the extra effort in the flavour department.

Bonus: this salad was delicious leftover for lunch the next day too. Let's get cooking!

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops (we used shoulder chops)

• 1 tablespoon rock salt

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salad

• 300g green beans (topped and tailed)

• ½-1 fennel bulb (or 1-2 baby fennel). More if you love fennel, less if it’s new to you

• 2 small royal gala apples, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves

• ¼ cup toasted almonds (chopped or sliced)

Dressing

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon honey

• salt and pepper to taste.

Method

1. Blanch beans in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Drain and place beans into a bowl of iced water. This stops the cooking process.

2. In a mortar and pestle grind the fennel seeds to release their flavour. Add the salt and rosemary and grind gain to break up the salt crystals and infuse the flavour.

3. Rub each of your chops with the seasoned salt. Cook on a hot BBQ for 3-5 minutes each side, depending on how thick your chops are and how you like your pork cooked.

4. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. While it is resting, make the salad.

5. Trim the top off the fennel bulb, reserving some of the fronds. Remove the core and slice thinly (a mandolin makes it a quick and easy job). Toss with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and set aside.

6. Thinly slice the apples and toss with the remaining lemon juice.

7. Arrange the spinach leaves in a wide shallow salad bowl.

8. Add the fennel, apple and the green beans drained from the iced water.

9. Mix your dressing by combining all ingredients and whisking well until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

10. Dress your salad, tossing well to coat all ingredients evenly.

11. Garnish with the toasted almonds and reserved fennel fronds and serve with the pork chops.

First created for Deagon Bulk Meats.

#paleo #familyfriendly #lowsugar #glutenfree #dinner #salad #recipe #dairyfree