Chimichurri Pork Salad

A fusion of my Chimichurri Pork Chops and the summertime favorite Caprese Salad, this easy dinner comes together quickly from a leftover sliced chop or pork tenderloin but is worth making on its own from scratch. When you’ve put it together once, the dish will become a permanent part of your summer rotation when tomatoes and zucchini are at their peak and it’s too hot for much cooking. Try it with sliced grilled chicken, too. If you don’t like Chimichurri or cilantro (and you should really try it if you haven’t), you might use basil pesto in its place.

serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 thick bone-in or boneless pork chop, seasoned, grilled or roasted (1/2-pound to ¾ pound) and sliced thinly -- can use 1/2-pound cooked and slice pork tenderloin
4 small ripe tomatoes, sliced
3/4 - pound sliced fresh mozzarella
1 medium zucchini, sliced and grilled or sautéed and seasoned well with salt and pepper
2 cups arugula or any fresh greens
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Crushed red pepper, optional
Chimichurri Sauce--see below

Instructions

On a large platter, layer the pork, tomato, mozzarella, and zucchini slices in a circle, oval, or rectangle. Place the arugula at the center, topping with extra tomatoes if you have them. Sprinkle salad with a little salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper, if using. Spoon Chimichurri Sauce lightly and evenly over all the ingredients. Serve at room temperature, warm, or chilled. Store leftovers tightly covered for a day in the fridge.

Notes

Chimichurri Sauce --Adapted from Bon Appétit, October, 2002

• 1 cup curly parsley

• 1/4 cup cilantro

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well-blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Alternately, chop the herbs and garlic as finely as possible, add to a medium bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.)