Pork Chops with Herbed Goat Cheese Butter & Green Beans

By Chez_Alexander

This speedy main feels restaurant-worthy, but it couldn’t be easier or more affordable (just $2.70 a serving). Stirring fresh herbs, garlic, or lemon rind into softened butter, called compound butter, is a brilliant topper for simply cooked meats or fish, a pile of steamed vegetables, or as a spread for crostini. We stretch the butter with softened goat cheese to lower the saturated fat and add a tangy, luxuriously creamy finish. Dollop the goat cheese mixture over the pork chops and cover the plate with foil so it will melt slightly while you cook the green beans.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 ounce goat cheese, softened (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (4-oz.) boneless pork chops (3/4 in. thick)
• 10 ounce green beans, trimmed
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine butter, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rind, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and goat cheese in a small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn pork over, reduce heat to medium, and cook until done, about 4 minutes. Place pork on a plate (do not wipe out pan). Top each pork chop with about 2 teaspoons goat cheese mixture. Loosely cover pork chops, and keep warm.

3. Add beans and shallot to pan; cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add stock; cover and cook 3 minutes. Uncover; cook until liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon rind, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 3/8 teaspoon pepper, and juice.

Makes 4 servings. Serving size = 1 pork chop and 1/2 cup beans