Garlic Red Wine Grits with Pork Chops

This was an extremely random idea that became an incredibly delicious dinner.

I love grits.

I love wine.

I love garlic.

I was craving pork chops.

I made this and all was well.

You will need: 4 thin cut pork chops, salt, pepper, 4 Tbsp butter, 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 1 head of garlic, 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, 2 cups of red wine, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of 5 minute grits, 2 tsp fresh lemon thyme and 4 cups of chicken stock.

I used lemon thyme in this recipe (since I have it growing on my balcony) but regular thyme works just as well.

Peel the onion.

And dice it up.

Peel the garlic cloves. Seriously. Use the whole head of garlic. You'll thank me.

If your garlic cloves are super big, like mine, then cut them in half or thirds.

Throw 2 Tbsp of butter into a medium sized pot over medium low heat.

Sorry about the bad photo.

Add in 1 Tbsp of olive oil.

Throw the onions and garlic into the pot.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Give it a stir.

Once the onions are translucent and a little golden, throw in the 2 cups of wine!!

Then pour yourself a glass. You've earned it today.

Throw in the 2 tsp of thyme.

Stir everything around.

Throw the lid on the pot and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and sweet.

While everything is simmering, salt and pepper BOTH sides of the pork chops.

Also, grate up the 1 cup of Parmesan since I know you're not using that saw dust stuff, right?

Put the remaining olive oil and butter into a large skillet over medium heat. Throw in the pork chops.

Now, at this point in the cooking process, the battery on my camera died. It had been a while since I've used it and I forgot that it likes to be plugged in every once and a while. So, you'll have to use your imagination for the next few steps while it charged. Don't worry, I have an end result photo.

Pour the carton of chicken stock into the pot with the red wine, onions, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Pour in the grits and stir everything around for a minute. You don't want your grits to clump up on you.

Put the lid back on the pot and let it boil for 4 more minutes, or until most of the liquid is gone from the pot.

After you put the lid on the pot, your chops should be ready to flip! Cook them until they're nice and  brown on both sides.

After the grits have cooled, add the cheese and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Stir until combined.

Pour some grits in a shallow bowl and serve with a pork chop on top. Garnish with extra thyme if desired.

Garlic Red Wine Grits with Pork Chops

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 thin cut pork chops
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 head of garlic, cloves removed and peeled
• 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups of red wine
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 cup of 5 minute grits
• 2 tsp fresh lemon thyme
• 4 cups of chicken stock

Instructions:

1. Put 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Throw in the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and stir around. Cook until onions are translucent and a little golden.
2. Pour in the wine and 2 tsp of thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for about 20 minutes, or until garlic is soft and sweet. After the garlic is soft, pour in the 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil.
3. While the stock is coming to a boil, add 2 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Season both sides of the pork chops and add them to the skillet. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
4. Once the stock and wine mixture is boiling, pour in the grits while stirring constantly. Cover and cook for five minutes. Once most of the moisture has been absorbed by the grits, add in the cream and cheese. Stir it up.
5. Serve the chops on top of a big bowl of grits and enjoy!