The Iberian Peninsula includes the entire landmass south of France, most notably, Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. Some of the best cuisine is Basque from the northern most regions. This region consists of a proud heritage of ranchers that were often used as target practice for the Nazis in WW 2. Basque cuisine includes meats and fish grilled over hot coals, marmiton, and lamb stews, as well as cod. This is one of those dishes.
4 nice pork chops or steaks
Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves
6 sprigs of thyme
4 ounces prosciutto
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small jar Green Pesto
1/4 cup ground pistachios
BASQUE SALAD DRESSING
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
Fried dried onions
Mix all of the desired greens together. Chill until ready to serve. Lightly drizzle the dressing over fresh salad greens and toss until evenly coated. Set aside till dinner is prepared.
It is a very strong and flavorful dressing, so you may want to play around with the amount of dressing you add to suit your personal taste. Do not mix the salad dressing with the salad greens until you are ready to eat or the greens will wilt.
PORK STEAKS
Place the Prosciutto into shards and set aside. These are always packaged and need to be extracted from the thin packaging.
Season the pork steaks with salt and pepper, heat some olive oil in a large frying pan and fry for 3 minutes on one side, flip over and add the butter, garlic cloves and thyme and fry for a further 3 minutes, basting the pork regularly. Plate the steaks on some warm plates, spoon some pistachio pesto on top and scatter some Prosciutto and serve with potatoes and a Basque Salad.
"My love for the Basque, for Basque culture, for my Basque friends, is absolute."
Anthony Bourdain
