Many couples are stymied when it comes to getting a delicious, good-tasting, meal on the table in no time. Many recipes in cookbooks or on the internet yield multiple servings and although it’s nice to have leftovers, sometimes one just doesn’t want to eat the same meal three days in a row. To make a quick meal that is satisfying does require having certain essential items in your pantry: olive oil, dried legumes, some kind of meat (in this recipe below, pork). If you were to open my refrigerator you wouldn’t see anything to eat–you would see the elements to something to eat, in other words, the basic foundations of ingredients that get combined into a preparation. In the spring a nice dish is one of pork, chicory, and lentils. It’s very flavorful, it’s quite healthy, and it’s easy and quick to make. In some sense it’s a one-pot meal because you really don’t need to make any side dishes.
- ½ pound chicory or escarole (about half a head), washed well
- ¼ cup green lentils
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound pork shoulder, fat removed, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 ounce salt pork or pancetta, diced very small
- 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, salt lightly, add the chicory and cook until 1 minute past when the water comes back to a boil, about 5 minutes in all. Drain the chicory well, then cut into strips.
- Put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with cold water by several inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the lentils are tender but not breaking apart, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat, then cook the pork until golden brown and a little crispy on the edges, about 6 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside with the chicory. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the salt pork and cook over medium-high heat until the salt pork has rendered some fat and is a little crispy, stirring, about 4 minutes. Return the pork and chicory to the skillet and add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are softer, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils, stir and cook until everything is blended, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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