CRISPY PORK WITH LEMON-THYME CAULI RICE

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOK TIME: 40 minutes

This recipe is impressive and, while a little lengthy, really straightforward. Just think, instead of rushing through dinner, you can get it going on the stove, pour yourself a glass of wine, and get caught up with the family happenings of the day. To speed things up a bit, you can use pre-riced cauliflower. I tend to rice cauliflower myself because it’s less expensive.

CRISPY PORK:

¼ cup (55 g) coconut oil or ghee, or ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado oil

½ cup (38 g) crushed pork rinds

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound (455 g) boneless pork chops (about 1 in/2.5 cm thick)

LEMON-THYME CAULI RICE:

1 medium head cauliflower (about 1½ lbs/680 g), or 3 cups (375 g) pre-riced cauliflower

1 small white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup (60 ml) chicken bone broth

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon finely ground sea salt

Leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat.
2. While the oil is heating, place the crushed pork rinds, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to blend, then add the pork chops, one at a time, and coat in the mixture. When the chops are well coated, transfer to the frying pan.
3. Cook the pork chops for 10 minutes per side, until well seared.
4. If you’re using pre-riced cauliflower, skip ahead to Step 5. Otherwise, cut the base off the head of cauliflower and remove the florets. Transfer the florets to a food processor or blender and pulse 3 or 4 times to break them up into small (¼-inch/6-mm) pieces.
5. Once the pork has cooked for a total of 20 minutes, transfer the chops to a clean plate, leaving the cooking oil in the pan. Add the riced cauliflower, onion, garlic, broth, lemon juice, and salt. Cover and cook until the cauli rice is soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times during cooking.
6. Meanwhile, cut the pork chops into ½-inch (1.25-cm) slices. When the cauli rice is done, add the sliced pork to the pan. If the pork is not cooked through, continue cooking, uncovered, for another 5 minutes, just to cook it through.
7. Divide the pork and cauli rice among 4 dinner plates, sprinkle with the thyme leaves, and enjoy!

STORE IT: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

REHEAT IT: Transfer a single serving to a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave for 2½ minutes.

THAW IT: Place in the fridge and allow to defrost completely, then follow the reheating instructions above.

make it AIP:

Omit the black pepper. Do not use ghee.

make it COCONUT-FREE:

Use avocado oil or ghee.

make it DAIRY-FREE:

Do not use ghee.

Per serving, made with coconut oil:

calories: 419 | calories from fat: 244 | total fat: 27.7 g | saturated fat: 16.3 g | cholesterol: 104 mg

sodium: 728 mg | carbs: 9 g | dietary fiber: 3 g | net carbs: 6 g | sugars: 3 g | protein: 34 g

FAT : 58%
CARBS : 8%
PROTEIN : 34%