Why This Recipe Works

Lightly sweet pork chops and pleasantly bitter dark leafy greens are a fantastic, time-tested pairing. We set out to build on these ingredients’ delicious assets with a relatively fast square meal that used only one skillet. We chose meaty 1-inch-thick rib chops because they’re tender and flavorful and they wouldn’t cook too quickly, giving the hearty greens time to soften. We sprinkled the raw chops with plenty of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and ground fennel; fennel’s sweet, licorice-like flavor is a great partner for pork. Then we seared the chops (on one side only) in a bit of olive oil in a nonstick skillet before transferring them to a plate. Undercooking them during this step allowed us to finish cooking them on top of our beans and greens in the oven, letting the pork juices flavor the vegetables. After trying collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and both curly and Lacinato kale, we chose chopped curly kale for its deep, mineral-y flavor. A can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans stirred into the wilted kale added heft and made the dish a complete meal. The finishing touch? Parmesan cheese stirred in before serving, plus extra to pass at the table.

Before You Begin

Use pork chops of the same thickness to ensure even cooking. Pork chops can buckle during cooking and cook unevenly. To prevent this, we use kitchen shears to snip the fat surrounding the loin portion of each chop. Be sure to wash the kale leaves well before cooking them—they can often be full of sand. Serve with crusty bread.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, snip through fat surrounding loin muscle of each chop in 2 places about 2 inches apart, being careful not to cut too deeply into meat. Sprinkle all over with lemon zest, fennel, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chops and cook until well browned on 1 side, about 5 minutes. Transfer chops, browned side up, to plate.

Add onion and garlic to fat left in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Add kale, 1 handful at a time, and cover (lid will not sit snugly on skillet at first; this is OK). Cook until kale is fully wilted, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Off heat, stir in beans. Place chops, browned side up, on top of kale mixture. Transfer skillet to oven and roast, uncovered, until chops register 140 degrees, 14 to 17 minutes. Transfer chops to serving platter. Stir Parmesan, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into kale mixture. Serve with chops, passing extra Parmesan separately.