Brined Pork Chops With Sage Almond Pesto

TO MAKE THE BRINED PORK CHOPS

Step 1: Bring 1-quart water and the salt, sugar, sage stems, and peppercorns to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.

Step 2: Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the wine and 2 cups ice water and stir until ice is melted.

Step 3: Add the pork chops and cover. Refrigerate for 2 - 6 hours.

TO MAKE THE PESTO

Step 4: With food processor running, drop the garlic through the machine's tube.

Step 5: Add the parsley, almonds, cheese, sage leaves or basil, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes and process until very finely chopped.

Step 6: With the machine running, gradually pour in the olive oil a bit at a time, followed by the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust with additional olive oil to desired consistency.

Step 7: Drain the pork chops and pat them dry with paper towels.

Step 8: Add flour to a clean pie plate or regular plate, Dredge the pork chops into the flour to cover chops evenly.

Step 9: Heat the 1/2 cup of oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat.

Step 10: Once oil is hot, add the pork chops and cook until the underside is browned about 3 minutes.

Step 11: Flip the chops and cover the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium, until chops are cooked and no sign of pink when pierced at the bone, about a few minutes more. Be careful to not undercook or overcook so as not to dry it out.

Step 12: Transfer the chops to dinner plates, top each with a dollop of pesto, and serve.

NOTE 1: For the pesto, the choice to use sage or basil is up to you. However, when using sage, watch the amount, making sure not to exceed. Too much can make it overly strong and overwhelm the dish, therefore make sure it is loosely packed. When adding to the food processor, add it in parts and taste before adding the whole amount.

NOTE 2: The remaining pesto can be covered with the additional tablespoon of olive oil, covered, and refrigerated for up to 5 days.