Pork Chops with Kale

A friend of mine likes to reminisce about her mother's cooking, and she has mentioned pork and kale on multiple occasions. These conversations inspired me to look for a recipe to incorporate both ingredients. Enter internet search. I gave this recipe a whirl, and it was pretty easy. My favorite ingredient is the fennel seed, so don't skip it.

Pork Chops with Kale
adapted from Dinner a Love Story

1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 pork chops
salt
pepper
fennel seed
1 Tbsp. tomato paste

Wash and cut kale into 2-inch pieces. Boil for 15 minutes in salted water. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a deep skillet. Add garlic clove and cook over low heat, just enough to flavor oil without burning, about 2 minutes. Turn heat to medium and add 4-6 pork chops (butterflied, or pounded thin) that have been salted, peppered, and sprinkled with a little fennel seed and brown for 2 minutes on each side. Using a metal measuring cup, scoop out 1 cup of hot water from the kale pot and pour into a heatproof bowl. Whisk tomato paste in the hot water then add this liquid to the pork chops. Cover skillet and simmer until pork is cooked through, about 15 minutes. In final 5 minutes, add kale to skillet, and let it drink in the liquid.