As a warm-up for the first Leftover Tuesdays event later this month, I’ll be featuring a number of Leftover Makeovers in the coming weeks. Join the new Leftover Tuesdays group to get & give inspiration for making leftovers something to look forward to!
I had a leftover pork chop, which had been roasted with a rosemary marinade I had leftover from the pork tenderloin with pesto cream sauce. The tenderloin was wonderful, but the pork chops came out a bit dry. So I cut the leftover chop into small pieces and simmered it in a jar (plus a bit extra from a 2nd jar) of Trader Joe’s marinara sauce for about an hour. The sauce was looking a bit thinner than I wanted, so I added a can of pinto beans and a handful of pecorino romano cheese while I cooked some penne.
I finished this in the classic Italian method—reserving a bit of cooking water, then adding it along with the al dente penne into the sauce. After simmering for a few minutes together, we enjoyed this topped with some more cheese. This was an easy, hearty meal that I’d recommend trying the next time you have some leftover pork.
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Comments: 9
I would go with the salsa and not a marinara sauce.............
To make a moister chop, try brining it first by bringing 2 quarts water, 3 Tablespoons of sugar, 3 Tablespoons of kosher salt, a few bay leaves and two or three peppercorns to a simmer and then cooling. Add the chops. Cover and leave in the fridge for four to six hours. Dry the chops well and cook them however you like. Or if you have the chance to get to Italy where the pork still has some fat and taste in it, no need to brine, just grill them seasoned with salt on both sides over a wood fire and then finish with the best olive oil you can find and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.