Post Mortem on Côtes de Porc Sauce Nénette

Pork Chops with Mustard, Cream and Tomato Sauce - aka "Nénette" with Tomates à la Provençale

I would not categorize this meal as necessarily being in tune with the spirit of the Kentucky Derby or le premier Mai. I know that "Derby parties" were being held all over the area, it's one of those things to do to herald-in the good weather which has turned slightly tropical from where I am writing or just a good excuse to party.

Regarding le plat du jour, this was fun and easy to put together with ample moments for important station breaks and time to make minor adjustments to one's glass of wine. Speaking of the grape, the wine selection for this little dish proved to be a little challenging. I was gearing-up for a Cotes du Rhone which would have paired well with the porc and the sauce but conversely, the Tomates à la Provençale seemed to cry out for something lighter perhaps a white Cotes du Rhone or white Burgundy. I was torn between the two - le Rouge et le Blanc - a Stendhal-like situation. And the answer is? I went with a Domaine de Fontsainte, Gris de Gris 20008. The Domaine is located in the heart of the Corbières? celebrated ?Golden Crescent? - one of the appellation?s most beautiful and beneficent terroirs. The wine is 70% Grenache Gris and Grenache Noir; 10% Mourvèdre; 10% Carignan; 10% Cinsault. This selection played a remarkable balancing act - it was almost a wisdom of Solomon moment - and I take my hat off and strongly recommend that you check out this little beauty more closely.  

The Sauce Nénette is une vraie merveille and really does do justice to a grilled porc chop. You can't go wrong with this. Amaze your friends, stun your boss, impress your loved ones. A word regarding the tomatoes. As usual I tweaked the recipe a bit because I can't help myself. I figured on one good size garlic clove per tomatoe (that's just common sense, I suppose), I was lucky enough to have fresh basil growing out in my postage stamp-size garden to mix in and also grated a little cheese with the stuffing mixture. Lastly, I dabbed a piece of blue cheese on top which added a little je ne sais quoi" - I personally hate that expression but using it anyway - to the dish and "woilla!" (another linquistic pet peeve of mine.) All in all a fun dish to make and I am sure you will find it enjoyable as well. Bon Appetit les mecs!