Natural pork cutlets with roasted kale and walnut pesto

Ingredients:

• 4 natural pork chops on the bone, about 2 cm thick (1 kg total)
• Half a small bunch of kale (about 340 g)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 0.5 cup walnut halves
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
• 1 small clove of garlic, cut into 4 pieces
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Baked potatoes or soft polenta, for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to grill mode.
2. Trim the tough stems from the kale leaves and discard. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the kale with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and spread them in an even layer. Grill the greens, stirring once or twice, until bright green and lightly charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Add the walnuts and toast until fragrant but not burnt, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Sprinkle the pork chops on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the pork, turning once, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chop registers 145°F (63°C), about 12 minutes. Transfer the chops to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.
4. While the cutlets are frying, place the garlic, cooled cabbage, and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Add the red pepper flakes, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and continue to pulse until the pesto is finely chopped. Adjust the consistency of the sauce, if necessary, by adding up to 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle each pork cutlet with about 2 tablespoons of pesto and serve with baked potatoes or soft polenta.