Pork Chops and Baked Polenta with Peppers

Pork Chops and Baked Polenta with Peppers from The Wheat-Free Cook

*This is a favorite at my house! To save time use roasted peppers from a jar.*

In this easy supper dish, seared boneless pork chops finish cooking in the oven on a bed of buttery, herb-scented polenta. If you like, you can substitute fresh rosemary for oregano, or add a garnish of torn up fresh basil leaves.

ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 roll (16 to 18 ounces) precooked polenta, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red bell pepper, broiled, peeled and roughly chopped, or the equivalent from a jar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 to 6 tablesppns grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I have never used this)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless pork chops, 4 to 6 ounces each, 1 inch thick
1/4 cup dry white wine

**serves 4

Steps

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of the butter into an 8x10 inch baking dish. Arrange the polenta slices in it, overlapping slightly, in three rows. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and scatter the chopped bell pepper and oregano on top. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoon of butter. Top with Parmesan. Bake for about 30 minutes until bubbling and starting to brown.
3. When the polenta has baked for 15 minutes, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Pat the chops dry with paper towels, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, 5 minutes. Remove the polenta from the oven and arrange the chops on top. Add the wine to the skillet and let bubble, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom and reduce by half, 30 seconds or less. Pour the liquid over the pork chops. Return the baking dish to the oven and continue baking for 6 minutes until the chops are just cook through. Cooked this way, with just a hint of pink within, they will be juicy and tender.