Double Cut Pork Chop with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes, Tamarind Glaze and Green Chile Molé Sauce

Flavored with the essence of tangy tamarind, this delicious grilled pork chop will hit a note on your palate that you have forgotten about, but will gladly remember. We use thick double cut pork chops and top it with two rich sauces – green chili molé and tamarind glaze. It’s been on the menu since Day One and is by far one of our most popular entrées at Emeril’s. You can also find it on the menu at Emeril’s Orlando, Emeril’s Miami Beach and Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House. Diana Davey the chef de cuisine at my restaurant Table 10 in Las Vegas adds a fun twist to her version of this dish. She slow roasts prime pork tenderloin and serves it with mashed sweet potatoes, the same great green chili molé and a kicked-up brown sugar rum glaze!

Ingredients

4 1-pound loin pork chops, each about 2-inches thick

4 teaspoons Emeril’s Southwest Essence

1 tablespoon olive oil

Tamarind Glaze, recipe follows

Green Chile Molé Sauce, recipe follows

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes, recipe follows

INSTRUCTIONS

Rub both sides of pork chops with the remaining 4 teaspoons of Emeril’s Southwest Essence. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chops and sear 4 minutes each side and 2 minutes on fatty edge. Arrange chops on a rack in a baking pan and place in preheated broiler, 5-inches from heat; broil five minutes on first side. Brush both sides of chop with tamarind paste mixture, turn chops to second side and broil 5 minutes. Baste chops, turn again and broil until glaze turns brown and sticky, about 5 minutes longer, 15 minutes in all.

To serve, spoon Green Mole Sauce on a plate, top with a pork chop and brush once more with glaze. Add Roasted Sweet Potato on side.

Tamarind Glaze

Ingredients

2 tablespoons seeded tamarind  paste (Available in Latin, Indian or Indonesian markets)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons dark cane syrup or corn syrup, if cane is unavailable

3 tablespoons dark molasses

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons water

Black pepper

1 tablespoon Emeril’s Southwest Essence

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine tamarind, garlic, cane syrup, molasses, ketchup, water, 3 turns black pepper and 1 tablespoon of Southwest Essence in a food processor; blend until it forms a paste.

Green Chile Molé Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1/2 cup shelled pine nuts, roasted until golden

1/2 cup roasted, peeled and chopped green poblano peppers (about 2 peppers)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dark cane syrup

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup parsley leaves

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to simmering and cook 1 hour. Pour sauce into a food processor or blender and process, stopping once to scrape sides of bowl. Strain sauce through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and reheat before serving or refrigerate, covered.

Caramelized Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Rub potato skins with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees until just tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Peel potatoes while still warm and cut each into several pieces. Butter a small baking dish and arrange potato pieces in a single layer. Sprinkle potatoes with sugar and dot with butter. Return to oven and bake until sugar melts and potatoes are glazed, about 15 minutes.