Category: Pork Chops

Cuban Grilled Pork Chops

Pork, the other white meat, is a favorite in our house. It’s great on a grill. Delicious when marinated, rubbed or barbecued. So versatile.  The mild flavor of pork surrenders well to smoke. It’s just a great meat to work with. I adore pork. If you cannot find chops in the market to your liking, it’s really easy to buy a nice tenderloin and cut your own. For larger chops, use a loin roast. (And no, that’s not a mistake – tenderloin and loin are NOT the same cut of the animals. The tenderloin is long and narrow, while the loin is short and wide).

comparing cuts of pork

The rub of this recipe gives a nice outer layer of flavor. The sliced mangoes on the side gives color and a tropical feel to the plate. Can’t you just hear the steel drums?  Makes me want to serve cold beverages with slices of pineapple and little umbrellas.

Cuban Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients – Cuban Rub
2 tablespoons grated lime peel
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Garlic Clove, finely chopped

In small bowl, mix all Cuban Rub ingredients. Set aside until ready to use.

Ingredients – Pork Chops
4 Boneless Pork Loin or Rib Chops, 1″ thick (2 lbs)
1 Mango, sliced
3 Cups Cooked White Rice or Rice Pilaf

Trim excess fat from pork. Work rub into pork chops. Let sit on counter while a fire is built. The chops should sit for about 30 to 40 minutes for the rub to do its thing.

Heat coals for direct grilling. While fire is being built, steam rice.

Place pork 4-6 inches from medium ash coals. Cover and grill 8-10 minutes, turning frequently using barbecue tongs until pork is no longer pink and meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160-degrees. DO NOT over-grill.

Remove from grill, tent and let rest 5-10 minutes.

Serve rice with a pork chop on top. Garnish the plates with mango slices.

This dish would go well with Mango and Jicama Salad

mango-jamica-salad

 

French Onion Pork Chops and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

This dish was so basic yet so tasty that I decided to photograph it in all its simple, messy and unadorned glory. All I can say is yum!

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Colorful Mediterranean Grilled Pork with Mediterranean Salsa

Now is the perfect time to grill up some beautiful pork chops and serve them topped with a wonderful Mediterranean Salsa of olives and tomatoes. Let the Mediterranean Sea whisper to your inner soul and fill your heart with joy.

mediterranean-definition_921113Unlike other cuisines, Mediterranean Cuisines isn’t of a particular ethnic persuasion but rather a culinary style of cooking that is influenced by an array of diverse people living around the Mediterranean Sea. Almost since the beginning of civilization, the sea has been an intersection of trade between Asia, Europe and Africa. This exchange of ideas, cultures and goods has resulted in some of the most delightful culinary offerings anywhere. Olives are the most common ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. Beef is rare, as the rocky landscape does not easily support large stock domestic animals. Goat, lamb, pig and chicken are the more common meats. Fish from the sea is the most typical source of protein in the Mediterranean diet. Eastern Mediterranean brings an influence of Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Egypt. Southern Europe brings with it Southern France, Italy and Spain, with a preference toward grilled meats, tomatoes and red wine both in the foods and at the table. Northern Africa brings spice of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya to the table. This accumulation of styles and traditions sets Mediterranean Cuisine apart.

Mediterranean Grilled Pork with Mediterranean Salsa
Ingredients – Spice Rubbed Pork
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons crushed or chopped fennel seeds
1-1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
6 boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4 inch thick

To Make the Pork: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, fennel seeds, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.

Build a hot charcoal fire. While the grill heats, lightly coat both sides of the pork chops with the oil and rub with the spice rub. Clean the hot grate with a wire brush; oil the grate.

Grill the meat uncovered over direct heat on the hottest part of the grill, taking care not to crowd the meat. Cook until the meat forms impressive grill marks on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until the meat is just firm to touch and just cooked through, an additional 3 to 4 minutes for pork chops, depending on their thickness. Watch out for flare-ups! Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the salsa spooned alongside or over the meat.

Ingredients – Mediterranean Salsa
2 scant cups cherry (or grape) tomatoes, quartered
1/2 small red onion, cut into small dice (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pimento-stuffed green olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; more to taste
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Make the Salsa: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, olives, capers, basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Let stand while the meat grills. Before serving, adjust the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Rice Pilaf makes for a wonderful side, as does a Greek Salad.

Cuocere Stile Italiano – Grilled Pork Chops with Italian Relish

I don’t remember where I first stumbled upon the recipe for Grilled Pork Chops with Italian Relish. It was in a magazine some fifteen or twenty years ago. Like so many the recipes I’ve clipped and filed away over the years, I filed it in the back of my mind as well, knowing that when the time was right, a light would come on and I’d remember having clipped the perfect recipe to prepare.

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San Francisco Pork Chops

My favorite city in the world is San Francisco. I’m not big on cities in general, but if I had to pick just one place, it would be San Francisco. The first time I heard the lyrics “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear a flower in your hair” was on a school bus, driving through the Haight. Beautiful flower children stopped our bus, handing out flowers and beads while the radio played the 1967 hit by Scott McKenzie.

I have always had fond memories of San Francisco. Fog horns and big ocean liners. The cry of sea gulls. Waves crashing against jagged rocks. A long time ago, the City by the Bay stole my heart and it’s a love that has never faded.

As a teenager, and into my early twenties, I loved to head to the city. Walk along Fisherman’s Wharf (back then, pier 39 with all its tourist traps did not exist), pick up a warm loaf of fresh sourdough bread, jug of wine and steamed crab. Build a fire on the beach near Ghirardelli Square just to keep warm (the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco – famous words NOT uttered by Mark Twain), sip the wine, eat the bread and suck down the crab meat. Life was so simple.

I remember many moons ago, Hubby and I had a romantic Valentine’s Day Weekend in San Francisco. We stayed in one of those old luxury hotels in Nob Hill. Our suite was spacious and charming, with views of the city that never seemed to end. We had a fire escape just outside our sitting room window. I climbed out onto the landing and sat for the longest time, eyes closed, listening to the rhythm of the city. The clanging and banging and sirens seemed a strangely beautiful symphony to my ears. Hubby thought I was nuts. All he could hear was the noise of a city and not the rhythm of its beating heart. To my ears it was a symphony.

It’s no surprise that San Francisco Pork Chops have a heavy Asian influence. San Francisco’s Chinatown is one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia. Since May is a celebration of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, it is only fitting to share this wonderful dish.

San Francisco Style Chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 (3/4 inch-thick) boneless pork chops, trimmed
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (from a jar)
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if desired)
3 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
Green Onions for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown chops in hot oil, about 3 minutes per side.

While pork chops are browning, whisk beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, and red pepper flakes in a bowl until brown sugar has dissolved.

Once chops have browned on both sides, remove from skillet to a plate, reserving oil in skillet. Cook and stir garlic in reserved drippings until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return pork chops to skillet and pour soy sauce mixture over the chops. Bring sauce to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to low. Simmer chops until tender, 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Transfer chops to a serving platter and keep warm. Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into pan juices and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Cut pork chops into 1-inch or so thick slices for serving. Spoon sauce over chops and garnish with green onions just before serving.

Note: I have also made this using thin pork chops. It works equally as well. With the thin pork chops, there is no need to slice the chops before serving. Just plate the chops and spoon on the wonderful glaze.

Filipino-American Pork Chops Adobo Style

There are certain “firsts” that just stick with you – first kiss, first dance and the first time you cooked for a boy. Yep, this is what I made, along with some green beans and sticky rice. My parents even let me set up a cozy table for two in the living room and kept my younger siblings out, although I can still hear the snickering – especially from Brother Dear. I sometimes think the reason God created little brothers in the first place is to torment big sisters.

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Hunter’s Pork Chops – Heaven on a Plate

On a crisp January evening a few years back, I decided to tackle two new recipes in a single meal. One was for carrots (a post for another day soon) and the other was for Pork Chops. I don’t know about you, but I simply adore Pork Chops. You can fry them, bake them, grill ’em up on the barbecue – the methods are endless. Slathered in sauce, marinated for intense flavor – whatever.

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Polynesian Pineapple Pork Chops Over Sticky Rice

You know you have a hit on your hands when there are no leftovers. And such was the case from the very first time I served up these sweet-salty pork chops to my hungry family. They are super yummy to eat and fairly easy to make. Okay, so it does take about 45 minutes from prep to table, which might not be “quick” enough for a weekday meal after a long day’s work. If you don’t mind the wait, this dish is positively delicious.

The prep work is simply, just a little chopping and a little mixing. Most of the ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard anyway, so no special trip to the market scouring the aisles for “special” fixings. The sauce is wonderful – a little sweet, a little salty, a little different. It goes well spooned over the steamed rice. The first time I made this dish, I will admit I was a bit hesitant – pineapple over rice? Golden Mushroom Soup and Soy and Honey all mixed together? Just to be on the safe side, I served the rice on the side and the sauce in a gravy boat. One bite and all caution flew right out the window. From that night forward, the chops went into a rimmed serving platter, surrounded by a ring of sticky-steamed rice and the sauce was generously poured over the chops, seeping into the rice while leaving plenty of sauce in the platter to add as desired. Time after time, there are no left-overs to fret about. If anything, there may be a race between my guys to see who can snatch up the last chop on the platter. Kiddo, raised to respect his elders, always lets Hubby grab the last chop. Besides, he knows that Hubby will split the chop in half, and they take an equal last serving.

Just a quick note before we get down to cooking – when a recipe calls for canned pineapple, I always use Dole. Maybe that’s because it’s what I grew up with, but I like the look of their canned pineapple over the bargain brands. Whatever your favorite, please feel free to use.

Polynesian Pineapple Pork Chops over Sticky Rice
Ingredients – Steamed Rice
1 1/2 Cups White Rice, uncooked

Steam rice according to rice manufacturer’s directions. While rice is steaming, make pork chops.

Ingredients – Polynesian Pork Chops
8 Pork Chops, boneless, thin cut
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Large Shallot, chopped
1 Can Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1/4 Cup water
20 oz Pineapple Rings with juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
3 green onions, sliced

Season pork chops with garlic powder, salt and pepper, set aside until ready to use.

Remove four pineapple rings from the 20 ounce can, set aside for garnish. Chop remaining pineapples into chunks.

In a bowl, combine soup, water, pineapple chunks with juice, soy sauce, onions and honey. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat oil in skillet until shimmering but not smoking. Sear pork chops, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Reduce heat to medium and pour soup mixture over pork. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until done.

Uncover pork chops, increase heat to medium and allow sauce to thicken a little, about 10 minutes longer.

While sauce is thickening, slice green onions for garnish.

Mound cooked rice around outer edge of a large, rimmed serving platter. Transfer pork chops to the center of the ring, stacking as necessary. Spoon sauce over chops. Sprinkle with green onions.

Cut remaining four pineapple rings in half. Place rings on top of rice for garnish and serve.

 

Baked Pork Chops and Vegetables One-Pan Wonder

I can’t believe yet another recipe inspired by Eat At Home Cooks – an entire dinner cooked up in a single baking pan! (Link to original: http://eatathomecooks.com/boneless-pork-chops-and-veggies-sheet-pan-dinner) While she uses small white potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, I went with small red potatoes for added color and some fresh Rosemary to the mix. Our green beans are similar, but rather than use black pepper to season, I’ve gone with Lemon Pepper instead for a little added zip. Kiddo adores Lemon Pepper on his green beans, as do I. While she uses thin cut pork chops seasoned with Smokehouse Maple Seasoning, I preferred the thicker boneless chops seasoned with Mesquite. I mean, if you can cook an entire one-pound pork tenderloin in about 30 minutes, you should be able to bake up some yummy pork chops in the same amount of time, right? Although our seasonings were different, the same basic concept of baking everything together on one large rimmed baking sheet is the same.

Tasting is believing – and this one-pan supper is oh so wonderful. I had never “roasted” green beans before. They were delicious, tender without turning to mush. The potatoes took on the beautiful flavor of the Rosemary and the Mesquite Seasoning was the perfect final touch to the pork chops. Nothing dried out in the oven, each part of the meal cooked to perfection, each retaining their individual flavors – delicious!. A few minutes of prep work, a little seasoning and thirty minutes later you are sitting down to a bright, scrumptious meal. Yeah, this is one I’ll be repeating – maybe changing up the green beans for Asparagus just to give a little variation.

Baked Pork Chops and Vegetables One-Pan Wonder
olive oil, as needed
2 lbs small red potatoes, cut in half
1-2 tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, chopped
2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cleaned
2 tablespoons Lemon Pepper
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
2 lbs. boneless pork chops
2-3 tablespoons Mesquite Seasoning or to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line one large, rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Brush foil-lined pan with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

Cut potatoes in half. Place potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil to lightly coat. Season potatoes with salt, pepper and Rosemary. Toss gently to blend. Nestle potatoes on one section of the baking pan.

Spread green beans next to potatoes. Lightly drizzle green beans with olive oil, then season with salt and Lemon Pepper. Toss to blend.

Baked Pork Chops and Vegetable One-Pan Supper (2)

Half of the baking sheet should now contain the vegetables, leaving the other half for the pork chops.

Drizzle pork chops with a little olive. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Mesquite seasoning. Place on baking sheet seasoned side down. Drizzle top side with a little olive oil and season to taste.

Baked Pork Chops and Vegetable One-Pan Supper (3)

Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and give the vegetables a good shake. Turn pork chops over, rotate the pan and return to oven. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes longer or until pork chops are cooked through and potatoes are fork-tender.

To serve; plate chops on individual plates with plenty of vegetables. (No serving platters to wash).

Baked Pork Chops and Vegetable One-Pan Supper (5)

Enjoy!

 

One Skillet Pork Chops in Mushroom-Onion Gravy

Do you shop at one of those big box stores? Recently, Hubby and I made our monthly Costco run. Buying in bulk, when done right, saves money, and all you need to do is set aside a little time to break down the giant packages into more reasonable portions. Take those giant packages of pork chops for example. Forty thin-cut pork chops works out to fifty-cents per chop. For us, forty pork chops equates to the meat needed for six meals. These are easy to break down into smaller portions, and stored in the freezer. Buy a roast that can feed an army, cut it into smaller roasts, and you can easily transform one giant roast into three or four two-pound roasts. One package of stew meat becomes two stews, with plenty of left overs for lunches during the week. For our little family of three, breaking down those big box store containers into manageable servings works well while stretching our buying power.

This one-skillet supper is super easy to whip up, takes little time to cook and is perfect for a mid-week dinner. Don’t have thin-cut pork chops? That’s okay, just increase your simmering time to about 20 minutes, depending upon thickness.

One Skillet Pork Chops in Mushroom-Onion Gravy
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 pork chops, thin cut
8 oz crimini mushrooms – sliced
1/2 Onion, cut into thin slivers
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly salt and pepper pork chops. Set aside.

Peel onion, cut in half and then slice half of the onion into long, thin slivers. Set aside.

Wash and remove stems from mushrooms. Slice mushrooms thin and set aside until ready to use. (This can be done earlier, held in bags until ready to cook).

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add one teaspoon of oil to hot skillet and give the pan a good swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Sear pork chops in hot oil for 2 minutes per side. (You may have to do this in two batches depending on the size of your skillet to avoid over crowding).

Remove chops from skillet, place on  a sheet of foil and seal to keep the chops warm.

Add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to same skillet, swirling to distribute. Add sliced mushrooms and onions to the pan. Sauté until lightly brown and the mushrooms have begun to release their juices, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for one or two minutes or until all flour has been absorbed.

Add both chicken and beef stock. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to gather all the brown bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. The gravy will begin to thicken.

Add the chops back into the pan (along with any drippings), spooning the gravy over the chops. Continue to simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes longer or until pork chops are heated through, allowing the gravy to reduce by half and thickened. If necessary, cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until pork chops are tender. Taste the gravy, add more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer chops to a large rimmed serving platter or casserole dish. Pour all the gravy over chops and serve.

The gravy is delicious and can be served over mashed potatoes. The mushrooms and onion slivers add both texture and flavor to the pan gravy.