Pork Chops with Mango Salsa and Israeli Couscous Risotto with Asparagus (Plus, BIG news!)

When asked what he wanted to make this week, Ben didn’t hesitate. Pork chops. I agreed and he started piling on the conditions. With a bone. Thick meat. With mango salsa. I know the last demand is not one that springs to mind, but there is a recipe we’ve been making for years that he obviously remembered, and he requested it. I steered him towards the couscous risotto dish because I made it last week, and it was fabulous.

We took some liberties with the pork chop recipe (namely in the cut of meat to fulfill Chef Ben’s requirements):

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pork-tournedos-with-blackberry-gastrique-and-mango-salsa-12400

The couscous risotto dish comes from Milk Street Magazine:

Couscous “Risotto” with Asparagus

4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

Kosher salt and ground pepper

3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous)

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely graded (1/2 cup), plus more to serve

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus more to serve

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch pieces, stalks and tips reserved separately

1. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook, stirring, until onions begin to soften but not brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the couscous and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown.
2. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring, until the pan is almost dry, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus stalks. Cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes, then add the asparagus tips. Cook, stirring, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the asparagus is tender, another 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, add the Parmesan, parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then stir until the butter melts. Taste and season with slat and pepper. Serve sprinkled with additional Parmesan and parsley.

You were promised big news and here it is. We look forward to hosting a very special guest celebrity chef here at Ben’s Day Wednesday the first week in April. We don’t want to give it away just yet, but when we say celebrity, we’re not kidding. (This is not to say that Jen, who co-starred in the meatball hoagie edition, is not a true celebrity – she’s a rock star.) But our upcoming guest BEAT BOBBY FLAY!!!