Mediterranean Pork Chops with Dill Yogurt Sauce

What a weekend, for a mostly unplanned and relaxing weekend we sure did get a lot done and have lots of fun.  Saturday was the dolma making day, stay tuned for that story in the next blog post.  Saturday evening we ended up going to my parents house for a family dinner and they made delicious pork curry.  My dad seemed to be in good spirits and not tons of shoulder pain so I think his healing process is all around a lot smoother this year.  Then on Sunday we had planned on going on a hike but of course when we were just a couple minutes away from our destination it started pouring rain...  So we ended up hitting up thrift stores and had lunch at an old favorite across town, the Lutz Tavern.  The Lutz is a dive bar we use to always go to when my boyfriend lived in the Woodstock neighborhood, and their A-1 burgers are delicious!  After a full day of fun we went to our friends' house for a soup night.  Every other Sunday evening they host a soup night, it alternates stone soup and a soup of their choice.  The idea is that everyone brings an ingredient to add to the soup or that would be a good side and we all eat around a very large round table.  The average turn out is about 10-12 people and it feels very much like a friend/family dinner, I love it!  Last night the host made an amazing Ukrainian borscht (pictured below), it was a perfect end to a rainy weekend.  I made this recipe the other night and served it with a side of lemon and garlic butter covered artichoke hearts.

Serves 3


The Ingredients

For the Pork Chops:
- 3 thick cut boneless pork chops
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- salt & pepper, to taste

For the Dill Yogurt Sauce:
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- salt & pepper, to taste


The Process

1. Take the pork chops and pound them thin with a meat tenderizer.

2. Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and garlic in a large ziploc bag.

3. Add the pork chops to the mixture making sure to cover both sides in it, and let them marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

4. Before you begin cooking the pork chops, bring them to room temperature for about 10 minutes.

5. While you are doing this, combine the ingredients for the dill yogurt sauce (Greek yogurt, dill, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and salt & pepper) in a small mixing bowl. Once mixed together, place in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

6. Place a  large frying pan on medium-high heat, and once hot, add the salt & pepper to the pork chops on each side and add them to the pan.

7. Cook the pork chops for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through.


8. Serve with the dill yogurt sauce.