Spiced Kurobuta Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup all purpose flour 
• 4 servings braised bacon 
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon sage fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground aleppo pepper 
• 1 tablespoon hungarian paprika sweet
• 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 teaspoons malabar peppercorns whole black freshly ground
• 4  kurobuta/berkshire rib pork chops bone-in thick

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• kitchen thermometer

Directions

1. Mix Aleppo pepper, paprika, coarse salt, ground Malabar pepper, and fresh sage in small bowl.
2. Brush pork on both sides with 2 tablespoons oil.
3. Sprinkle generously with all of spice mixture; press to adhere.
4. Spread flour on plate. Dredge pork in flour; shake off excess.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add pork and cook until brown, 3 minutes per side.
7. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 145°F, about 10 minutes.
8. Serve pork with Braised Bacon, Pomegranate, and Pine Nut Relish.
9. *Ground Aleppo pepper from Syria has a moderate heat level and tastes slightly sweet. It is available at some specialty foods stores and by mail from Surfas (310-559-4770; surfasonline.com).
10. **Malabar peppercorns, from the coast of western India, are especially pungent and zesty. They are available in the spice section of some supermarkets and by mail from The Spice Hunter(800-444-3061; spicehunter.com).