Gourmet on a budget has never been easier, especially when you have to feed a family. Pork loin roast often goes on sale and can be purchased as a whole loin that you can slice yourself. If slicing a pork loin is too much work, you can purchase thinly sliced center cut pork chops instead. These grilled cutlets can be served with apple sauce or they can be finished with a squeeze of lime after they come off the grill. The haricots verts (Slender French style green beans) with garlic and tomatoes are a quick side dish.
To start, cut the pork loin as evenly as possible into 1/4 inch slices (or use pre-sliced chops). If you cannot find thin chops you can always pound thicker boneless chops to a 1/4 inch thick. Lay them on a sheet pan and salt and pepper both sides of each chop. Do not use too much salt because they are thin.
Once seasoned on both sides, place in a bowl and place in the fridge for 4 hours for best results if you have time if not, try to let them sit at least 30 min. While the pork is curing, blanch your green beans until crisp tender or you can place them in a microwave safe dish and cook on high for about 5 min. until crisp tender then set aside or place in the fridge until ready to cook the rest of the way.
The green beans can be made ahead of time and reheated just before pork goes on the grill because the pork cooks very fast.
To cook the green beans, sauté the garlic on med low heat in two tablespoons of good olive oil be careful not to burn or brown the garlic.
If you have fresh tomatoes as we do from the garden, just chop and squeeze out the seeds and juice before adding to the beans.
If you don’t have fresh tomatoes it is perfectly fine to use diced tomatoes in a can.
Once the garlic is slightly tender, add the green beans and toss with the garlic and olive oil until heated through and salt and pepper as you go.
Add well drained tomatoes to the green beans and garlic and toss to heat through again, taste to see if you want more salt and pepper. At this point, the green beans are done and can be served or reheated later just before serving. The next step is to get you grill screaming hot around 400 degrees because you want to grill the pork quickly. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness but it is usually 3 – 4 minutes on the first side and around 2 minutes of the second side. You cannot walk away or they will be overcooked and dry.
Once the pork is done, place on a foil lined pan or plate to help with clean up. At this point, if not serving with apple sauce, you can squeeze the juice of fresh limes onto the pork steaks. You can also do both, serve with apple sauce and squeeze lime juice, it’s up to you. Serve with the garlic tomato green beans. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep Time: 1 – 4 Hours Cooking Time: 30 min
Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients:
1 I/2 – 2 lbs. Boneless Pork Loin Roast (Sliced 1/4 thick or thin pre-sliced chops)
1 pound Haricot Verts (Thin Green Beans), stems removed
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (drained well) or fresh chopped seeded and squeezed dry).
2 cloves garlic minced
2 Limes
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Apple Sauce (We use the unsweetened kind)