Detective Garza ~ “The waiters have just brought out dinner and it’s Grilled Pork and Apples served over Sautéed Kale. It’s so good, the entire table has gone silent. Even Cain, who’s a real chatterbox, is too busy eating to talk. Another waiter pours the wine, and we listen to the music coming in from the bar.
When Rafe clinks a glass, all gazes shift to him while he gives the last birthday toast of the night. It’s not a cliche to say that the group saved the best toast for last. Even though I have little family left, I’m surrounded by friends and realize for the first time since I left Trenton that I’m no longer alone.
Once we’re done with dinner, none of us are hungry for dessert but we’re also not ready to leave yet. So we turn to Zack’s bottle of 40-year old scotch and start the toasting all over again. Calum has the private room booked through to the next morning and while I doubt we’ll be here that long, you never know. The men who work in Iron Rack’s gym, all ex-Green Berets, know how to hold their liquor. And . . . Kells has texted them and told them they don’t need to show up for work until noon the next day.
So we break out the glasses, pour the whiskey, and listen to music, savoring the respite before Remiel Marigny’s next move. We have no idea when it will come or what it will look like, but we all know it will be more dangerous than we can imagine. But, until then, we eat, drink, and are merry. This birthday party is the best gift I’ve ever had, and I’m so grateful to Calum for putting it all together.”
Grilled Pork Chops & Sautéed Kale
This is an adaptation of an old NYT recipe my mother used to make. I also make this with boneless pork chops, but the bone prevents the pork from drying out. I also added the apples and the hard cider for a more autumnal feel.
Ingredients
- 2 1- to 1½-inch-thick bone-in pork rib chops patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs or sage leaves
- 6 Medjool dates pitted and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 bunch kale washed, dried, ribs removed, leaves torn
- 2 teaspoons hard apple cider
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled and thinly sliced
Instructions
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Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
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Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, making sure to get all of the nooks and crannies. Add the oil to the skillet, and then add the pork chops. Cook, flipping every two minutes, until both sides are browned and the internal temp (at the thickest part) reads 130℉.
This will take 10-15 minutes, depending on your skillet's heat the thickness of the pork chops. When they are done, use a pair of tongs to held them upright to sear the fat caps until crispy, about 1-2 minutes.
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Turn off the heat, but keep the skillet on the burner. Add the butter, sage, and rosemary and once the butter melts, swirl it around the pork chops for at least 1 minutes. Transfer the pork, sage, and rosemary to a plate but leave the drippings in the pan.
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Saute the garlic in the pan for 1 minute. Then add the dates and saute for another minute. Add in the kale, but don't stir it. Turn on the heat again, to medium, and cook the kale without touching it. Allow the dates and the bottom layer of kale to char a bit, and this will take about 2-3 minutes. Season the leaves with salt and pepper.
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Add the apple slices and a Tablespoon of water to the skillet and then stir the leaves while they cook. Keep stirring and cooking until the leaves are dark green and wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the hard apple cider. Season with salt and pepper.
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Cut the pork away from the bone and thinly slice it against the grain. Throw out the rosemary sprigs and sage leaves. Layer the plate with the kale and apples and then the meat on top. Serve immediately.
