Smoked Pork Chop with Balsamic Beet Glaze with Vanilla-Scented Ricotta Sweet Potato Puree

Pork Chops

1½ cups wood chips (hickory or apple wood or mesquite), soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes

4 bone-in center cut pork chops, 1-inch thick

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 red beets, quartered and juiced (for ¼ cup juice)

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Pinch allspice

Sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Canola oil

Sweet Potato Puree

4 whole sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 vanilla bean split and scraped

¼ cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the wood chips from the water and spread evenly in the bottom of a roasting pan. Cover the top tightly with aluminum foil. Put in the oven until the chips get hot and begin to smoke, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil from the pan. Put a baking rack inside the pan and arrange the chops on top of the rack, leaving a few inches of space between each one. Quickly cover with the foil again and let sit on your kitchen counter for 10-15 minutes.

While the pork chops are smoking, put the vinegar in a small pan over high heat and cook until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the beet juice, vanilla, allspice, sugar, salt and pepper, to taste. Let cool slightly.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grates with some of the canola oil. Brush the chops on both sides with some of the beet glaze and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides, brushing with more of the glaze, until golden brown and slightly charred and cooked to medium doneness, about 7 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, loosely tent and let rest for 5 minutes.

For the puree: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Roast the potatoes, skin on, 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove skin., Place warm potatoes in a sauce pot.

Over low heat, partially mash the sweet potatoes. Add the cream, bourbon, vanilla seeds, ricotta cheese and butter. Puree in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Spoon sweet potato puree on the bottom of the plate. Top with glazed pork chop. Drizzle around extra glaze to add color to the plate. For an additional garnish, shred beets and add roughly chopped parsley dressed with a homemade vanilla vinaigrette. Use that to top the chop or sprinkle around the plate.

Serves four.

Chef Nick Stavely, GFS