Meat, meat, meat

Oh, my. I always start the year with the best of intentions, and look where I am! No blog posts for 10 days...but I have managed to cook dinner more than once this week, despite many, many hours in the car each day. 

The dinners of the last two nights underscore how really quick and easy it is to make some delicious meat mid-week. Last night: rack of lamb, with roasted sweet potatoes and spinach salad. Tonight: pan-roasted pork chops with rosemary-onion-apple sauce and spinach salad. Both delicious, and both done in less than 30 minutes. 


The rack of lamb? Dead easy, and you need nothing more than some oil, salt, and pepper. Heat a pan on the stove top until a tablespoon or so of oil shimmers; meanwhile, heat the oven (and a metal pan in it - either a roasting pan or a sturdy cookie sheet) to 425 degrees. Salt and pepper both sides of the lamb. Sear both sides of the rack of lamb until beautifully brown; put onto heated pan in oven for about 12 minutes, until it's medium-rare (135 degrees F inside). Start to finish, it's 20 minutes, primarily unattended. 

The pork chops are similar: heat oil and a bit of butter in a pan at a medium-high heat. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on each side. Sear each side until attractively brown, about 2 minutes each side. Cover pan (in my case, with aluminum foil), and cook for 10 minutes on low heat. 


The fantastic thing about both of these meats is that they provide a quick basis for any larger meal. Sure, earth-loving vegetarian people, meat shouldn't be the centerpiece of every meal. Fine. But a nice small pork chop with a tasty green salad and homemade applesauce? Or a bit of lamb with roasted veggies and a salad? How can that be so wrong - especially when a) the meat comes from a happy animal, local farm that produces delicious meat, and b) when it's so quick to prepare? These meals feel special even on a rushed weeknight - and are quicker and healthier than anything we could order, and tastier than anything from a box. In cases like this, I vote for meat.