I’ve cooked chicken and fish piccata but had never thought about using pork…the other white meat. This meal is complete with your protein, orzo pasta and spinach. I saw this recipe in Good Housekeeping (March 2013) and thought it looked delicious, easy and I thought I could cook it for less than $10 for a family of four, which I did. You can easily replace long-grain rice for the orzo, green olives for the capers and low-sodium chicken broth for the wine if you like.
Pork Chops Piccata –
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $8.35
Ingredients:
- 8 oz orzo pasta
- 4 boneless pork loin chops (1 inch thick)….or you can use any boneless chop on sale
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 1 package (5 to 6 oz) spinach
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Heat covered 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to boiling on high. Cook orzo as label directs.
Meanwhile, sprinkle pork with 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper. Dust lightly with flour.
In 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tsp oil on medium high until hot. Add pork to skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and pork is cooked through (145 degrees). Transfer pork to large plate and keep warm.
When orzo has finished cooking, stir spinach into boiling water. Drain orzo and spinach immediately. Transfer to medium bowl. Add 1/8 tsp pepper and remaining 1 tsp oil, stirring to combine.
To same skillet, add wine and garlic. Simmer 2 minutes or until slightly reduced, scraping up browned bits. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, capers, and lemon juice. Return chops to skillet and coat with sauce. Serve pork over orzo mixture with sauce.