Roast Pork Over Green Beans

Normally in August I wouldn't be roasting much of anything, but this year we had a cold snap and it made using the oven possible. So there I was, standing in my kitchen, looking at a pound of green beans and knowing I had boneless pork loin chops that had to either be used or frozen immediately, and a recipe was born.

There are four pork chops in the picture because I hadn't separated the package yet, but I only used two of them (the other two went in the freezer). I kept looking at this collection of ingredients and thinking it really should contain something more, but sometime simpler is better. Pork chops, green beans, olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, fresh thyme, garlic, and salt and pepper.

I tossed the green beans with half the oil, half the thyme, and just a dash of salt and pepper, then spread them in a 9x9-inch baking pan. You could cut them if you want (it'll make them easier to eat), but for roasting I prefer whole beans since they don't get as mushy.

Then I mixed together the rest of the oil and thyme, the lemon juice, garlic, and smoked paprika. My intent was for this to be a rub, but instead of a dry rub it was a wet one.

I dredged the pork chops in the rub to completely coat them, then placed them on top of the green beans. There was some rub remaining, so I spooned it over the top and smeared it around to coat them evenly. Into the oven they went!

I roasted for 40 minutes, turning once. I should have gone less than that, as the pork was VERY well done. Not overcooked, just more well done than we like. I'm writing the recipe for 30 minutes, but your mileage will vary depending on your oven and taste preference. Pork should be cooked to at least 145F on a meat thermometer.

As you can see in the last two pictures, the rub tends to melt down into the green beans as it roasts, which gives them amazing flavour. Roasting them gives them a different texture than most people are used to for fresh green beans as well.

Roast Pork Over Green Beans

Serves 2

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 boneless pork loin chops, excess fat trimmed

Preheat oven to 475F; coat a shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix half of oil with half of thyme, and the salt and pepper; toss with green beans and spread evenly in prepared pan.

Mix remaining oil and thyme with lemon juice, paprika, and garlic; dredge pork chops to completely coat and lay chops on top of beans. Spoon any remaining rub over chops and spread evenly.

Bake at 475F for 25-30 minutes, turning once during cooking.

Serving Size: 436g

Calories: 514

Calories from Fat: 250

Total Fat: 27.8g

Saturated Fat: 5.3g

Trans at: 0.1g

Cholesterol: 124mg

Sodium: 406mg

Total Carbohydrates: 20.4g

Dietary Fiber: 9.7g

Sugars: 3.6g

Protein: 49.5g