This is the main course we served with the grilled eggplant Parmesan.  It too came from a Wall Street Journal article about Chef Michel Nischan and his new Connecticut restaurant, The Dressing Room.

I cooked these pork chops on my charcoal grill because I wanted a hotter fire that I could control more easily but a gas grill would work too. The recipe calls for starting them over a hot fire and finishing them on the cooler side of the grill.

WARNING – Don’t walk away from the grill when the chops are on the hot side for any reason. I made the mistake of going inside for just a couple of minutes to open a bottle of wine for our guests and overcooked a few of the chops. It turned out all right but could have been a disaster.

Grilled Pork Chops Served with Summer Beans

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic
½ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup honey
2-tablespoons grated lemon zest
2-tablespoons grated orange zest
2-tablespoon fresh oregano
2-tablespoon fresh sage
2-teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns plus freshly ground black pepper
6 boneless pork loin chops, 1 ½ inch thick
6 bunches fresh rosemary
1 ½ pounds fresh green beans
2-teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Prep the Ingredients

Peel the garlic and carefully crush with the side of a knife, a meat mallet or a garlic press if you have one. Grate the lemon and orange zest. Chop the oregano and sage. Crack the peppercorns. Clean the beans and trim the stem ends.

How to Make at Home

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This is the eggplant Parmesan recipe that my wife and I served at a dinner party. It came from the Chefs at Home column of the Wall Street Journal. Michael Nischan, a Connecticut chef who teamed up with Paul Newman to open the Dressing Room – Newman’s Own on the grounds of the Westport Country Playhouse, created it.

This is a very cool dish because it’s nothing like the eggplant Parmesan you are used to. It’s not served with any pasta, is grilled and everything is cooked right in the eggplant halves.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups cored and chopped fresh, ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-tablespoon butter
1 fresh bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 small eggplants, preferably white or the small purple ones
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

Prep the ingredients

Besides coring and chopping the tomatoes, cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and grate the Parmesan cheese.

How to Make Grilled Eggplant Parmesan at Home

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