soy-ginger porkchops with stir fried long beans

have i ever mentioned i love pork chops? i love pork chops. there's just something about them. my obsession probably stems from growing up onthe greasy, delicious, pan-browned oyster sauce chops my mom made at least once a week. so tasty and perfect with a couple large bowls of sauce soaking rice. ask anyone who knows my cooking well, what i cooked for dinner last nite, and he'll answer, porkchops!

pork gets a bad rap quite a bit (tawny recently likened it to human flesh, whatever), but today's "other white meat" is actually much leaner and cleaner than yesteryear's. farmers breed pigs to be less fatty, a result of the american consumer becoming more "health conscious" the last couple decades. the downfall is that is this meat tends to be drier and less flavorful when cooked. but like the original white meat, chicken, pork can take on whatever flavor you throw at it and is forgiving as such.

a few cardinal rules apply when cooking with pork chops (at least from my experience):

1. select cuts with as much marbling as possible. hard to find in your average supermarket, but the more marbling, or fat running through the meat, the juicier and flavorful your chop will be. the less fat there is, the easier the meat will become tougher with overcooking.

2. the thicker the better. thin cut chops will cook much quicker but thick cut (1 1/2" and up) will retain juices and when cut with a knife, mimic the performance of a tender steak. thick chops are a must when grilling, otherwise the meat will be overdone by the time the surface has caramelized properly.

3. vary cooking time according to thickness of cut and heat method. thin cuts are best for pan frying or braising where you'll only have the meat on heat for a short period of time. thick cuts are more suited to grilling and broiling and can be held on the heat longer.

4. don't overcook pork. trichinosis, the nasty germ everyone is afraid of with uncooked pork, is killed at 137*F. the book, kitchen science, recommends cooking pork to an internal temp of 150*F which is a happy medium between safe and texture. with thick cuts i use the finger press method (like steaks) to test for doneness. the meat should give easily when pressed but have medium springiness. a light pink color is good. white means overcooked. it takes practice and please refer to #3 above.



for this meal, i used a thin cut chop and marinated it for 15 min to give the meat extra flavor and moisture. i then pan-fried it. the marinade process helps keep thinner cuts from drying out and the pan fry method sears the surface and cooks the inside quickly (when thin).

add 6 thin cut rib chops to the following for 15 min or more:
3T soy sauce
1 T sugar
1 clove chopped garlic
1 inch piece of ginger grated into a slush (use a micro planer)
juice of 1 lime
pepper

in a large saute pan, heat evoo and add the chops in 1 layer. be cautious of oil splattering. let caramelize for 2 minutes then flip for another 2-3 min until done. set aside and keep warm. if you want to create a pan sauce from the drippings, you can add water or white wine to the pan, adjust seasonings with s/p, and let it thicken for a few minutes before drizzling over the chops.

for the long beans, heat oil in a wok and add 2 smashed cloves garlic, 1 red thai chile and 1 bunch chopped long beans and a sliced onion. add 2-3 T fish sauce and 1 t sugar and stirfry for 4 to 5 min. squeeze half a lime over the beans and plate.