Pork with Blue Cheese?

Yes, it’s an odd pairing, right up until you taste it. And then it becomes a lovely idea. Actually, grilled steak with Gorgonzola is a tried and true combination, so I am not sure why I thought Jamie Oliver was even crazier than normal when I noticed this dish in one of his cookbooks. I didn’t use his recipe because I had a different cut of pork, but I happily copied the cheese garnish part.

I had two 1½ inch thick rib chops for which I had no inspiration. And that’s where Jamie came to the rescue. I made them simply: searing them on both sides in a heavy pan with just salt (be careful, blue cheese can be salty), a bit of oil and a bit of butter that I allowed to brown before I put the chops in. I finished them in a 375°F oven for about 10 minutes. A few minutes before they were done, I ground a bit of black pepper on the pork and then put a few small slices of a mild blue cheese on one of them and a few slices of goat cheese (because my lovely wife is afraid of blue cheese) on the other. The blue cheese melted beautifully, covering the surface of the chop with just a few drips down the sides, which actually made it look great. The goat cheese didn’t melt at all, and that surprised me. It did, of course, soften enough so that I could easily spread the cheese across the chop.

I let them rest for a few minutes and served them with roasted asparagus. The blue cheese was mild enough that it didn’t overwhelm the pork, it but added an interesting tartness and creaminess that was delightful. The goat cheese was even milder, with a different but excellent flavor and texture. For simplicity, this dish can’t be beaten, and what an interesting combination! I will be adding this to my short list.

2 Replies to “Pork with Blue Cheese?”

  1. He doesn’t specify, but judging by the photo he is using a shoulder chop, and a thinner one to boot. He also adds apples (which is a crime) and lots of sage. As I said, I didn’t use his recipe, just the idea of cheese with pork.

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