Quick Barbecue Pork Chops

I recently confessed to having a tough time with pork chops. I asked the ladies on my cooking board for recommendations and this Quick Barbecue Pork Chops was one that immediately caught my eye. What could be easier than browning chops and then letting them simmer on the stove with BBQ sauce and a little brown sugar?


I think this recipe hinges on the sauce you use. When it comes to BBQ sauce everyone has their own preference, with tangy vs. sweet being the biggest divider. We are tangy fans and after a lot (and I do mean a lot. I think we tried every brand our store sells) of searching we found that Dinosaur is our favorite. Homemade sauce would obviously be great as well.

I served my chops with Buttermilk Mac and Cheese and green beans, but if you're making these in the summer I suggest potato salad and fresh corn on the cob. We both enjoyed the flavor of the chops and I enjoyed not having to work very hard to make them. I'll definitely be using this method again.

Quick Barbecue Pork Chops
Get Off Your Butt and Bake

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 boneless pork chops
1 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both side, then add to skillet. Let brown, about 5 minutes per side, turning only once. Add BBQ sauce, bring to a simmer, then turn heat down to maintain a light simmer. Sprinkle in brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix the sauce, water and brown sugar together by moving the pork chops around a bit.

Let simmer slowly for about 20 minutes or until chops are tender.

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Boneless pork chops are my albatross. I just can't seem to find a good, healthy recipe for them. Since they're boneless I'm always afraid of overcooking them since pork can go from moist to dry in a matter of seconds. This recipe for Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops caught my eye, and even though it's a far cry from healthy I thought I'd give it a shot.


SP took one look at the crunchy chops draining on the wire rack and immediately said he'd be having two for dinner. Then I dipped them in the sauce and he was even more smitten. Unfortunately there was something off and slightly burnt-tasting once we dug in. I think it might have been the fact that I used grated, fresh ginger instead of dried, ground ginger in the seasoning for the flour since I didn't have any dried on hand. We ended up scraping off the coating and eating the chops plain. A huge disappointment for sure. SP wants me to try these again so I better pick up ground ginger at the store.

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops
This Woman Cooks!

4 boneless pork chops
1 cup flour
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 eggs
Canola oil

Sift together flour and spices in a shallow bowl or pie plte. Beat eggs in another pie plate or shallow bowl.

Dip each pork chop in the flour and spice mixture, then into the egg and then back into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the chop to get good contact.

Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom. You will want to carefully regulate the temperature (medium) here so that the chops do not brown too quickly on the outside before they are fully cooked on the inside. Fry them for about 5-8 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Cut into one chop to make sure it is fully cooked.

Drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked chops into the sauce. Serve with noodles or rice.

Honey Garlic Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3–4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium sauce pan add olive oil and garlic. Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but don't let it brown. Add the honey, soy sauce, and black pepper. Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily.

Pork Chops with Orange-Soy Sauce

I was all set to make this recipe for Pan Seared Pork with Citrus Rum Sauce for dinner this week. Then SP told me we didn't have any rum. Oops. We have quite a few bottles of liquor, mainly for cooking not drinking, but apparently rum wasn't one of them.

So off to Google I went. Since I had a bag of oranges for the original recipe I was hoping to find a sauce that would allow me to use them up. This recipe for Pork Chops with Orange-Soy Sauce sounded good, with the bonus of being healthy and not needing to marinate ahead of time. Excellent.


SP and I were both really, really happy with this recipe. It took very little time to make and the results were delicious. I ended up reducing the sauce more than I wanted to and we were fighting over it when making up our lunches for the next day. The orange provided a nice fresh burst and soy sauce is one of my favorite ingredients because of the great depth of flavor. Definitely a winner in our book.

Pork Chops with Orange-Soy Sauce
Slightly Modified from Eating Well

2 tablespoons oil
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (took me 6 medium oranges to get 1 cup of juice)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet until shimmering. Combine orange juice, soy sauce, garlic and thyme in a small bowl. Set aside.

Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the hot skillet and sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Lower the heat and continue cooking, turning as needed to prevent burning, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chops to a plate and cover tightly with foil.

Add the reserved orange juice mixture to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the chops to the skillet; heat through, turning to coat. Serve with the pan sauce.

Ranch Pork Chops

I can't remember the last time I had pork chops. It's been a long time, I know that, but I get tired of the chicken, beef, pasta rotation and need to throw something different in once in awhile. Enter the other white meat. My friend, the same one who posted this amazing Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream recipe, recently posted a link to Ranch House Pork Chops that went straight onto the menu.


My crockpot and I don't get along and I didn't want to ruin the chops by experimenting, so I modified this recipe for the stove top. I used the other half of the cream of chicken soup I made earlier in the week, adding some chicken broth to thin it out. The ranch seasoning added great flavor. As the original recipe suggested, I served the chops with garlic mashed potatoes, but to keep it simple I just throw some peeled and crushed cloves into the pot with the potatoes and mash as usual. It saves so much time and effort but still produces great garlic flavor.

Ranch Pork Chops
Inspired by Real Mom Kitchen

4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning (or make your own)
1 1/2 cups cream of chicken soup (homemade recipe below)
1 cup chicken broth

Pat pork chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both side. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add pork chops and sear on both sides, about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add Ranch seasoning, soup, and chicken broth to the now-empty skillet. Whisk to combine and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the pork chops to the pan along with any accumulated juices, cover and let cook about 10-15 minutes or until the chops are no longer pink. Serve topped with sauce alongside mashed potatoes to sop up the extra sauce.

Note - you can cook the chops until just done or you can cook them for a few hours, but nothing in between. The chops will be dry if you overcook them, but a slow simmer (think a crockpot, as the original recipe indicates) will make them tender.


From Scratch Cream of Chicken Soup
Slightly Modified From Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
Dash of paprika
2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour

In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Pork Chop and Hashbrown Bake

I haven't eaten pork chops in a very long time. I can't remember how long it's been, but I think it was before I was pregnant with Baby Girl. I'll admit, when I saw this recipe for Pork Chop and Hashbrown Bake on Carrie's blog I considered making it with chicken instead, but SP talked me into using pork chops. I'm glad he did - this was a great dinner.


This is not the most photogenic meal, and it calls for something a lot of food bloggers turn their nose up at, but it was absolutely delicious. Seriously. SP cleaned his plate and told me I could make this dish once a week for him. High praise!

Pork Chop and Hashbrown Bake
Modified from Carrie's Sweet Life

Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
24oz frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
6 boneless pork chops, 1 1/2-2 inches thick
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 large can dried onion pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add thawed hashbrowns. Season with salt and pepper and cook until evenly browned, stirring occassionally. Remove to a large bowl, reserving skillet.

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the now empty skillet. Pat each pork chop dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown pork in skillet. Don't cook through since the pork will be cooking in the oven.

Combine soup, milk and sour cream and add to the bowl with the hashbrowns. Add half of the cheese and half of the onion pieces. Spoon mixture into prepared 9×13 baking dish. Arrange pork over potato mixture. Cover with foil.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Top with remaining onion pieces and cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Pork Chops and Potato Salad

Another recipe from the May 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, this time for Pork with Potato-Bean Salad. I used pork chops instead of the tenderloin:


... and we thought they were a little bland. I tried the recipe again, this time baking the pork chops, but with the same disappointing result. The potato salad, however, has become a staple in my kitchen:


I like the green beans in it, but lately I've been leaving them out and just making the potato salad. It's incredibly flavorful and I always have the ingredients on hand. I still love my other version of potato salad, but this one is a great weeknight throw-together.

Easy Potato Salad
Modified from Food Network Magazine

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 teaspoon grated zest
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, run under cold water and pat dry.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, parsley, lemon juice and zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Add the potatoes and onion; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Smothered Pork Chops

I've made this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops before with great success, but this time things didn't go quite as planned.


In addition to the pork chops I made some mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. The potatoes were great but the broccoli was a little overdone.

***WARNING*** If you have a weak stomach, stop reading now.

I don't cook with pork chops often, but the last time we were at the wholesale club we bought a huge pack of bone-in pork chops. I defrosted them for this meal and when I went to dry them off before coating them in the seasoned flour I noticed there was blood near the bone. Now normally I'm not very squeamish when it comes to meat. I'll eat just about anything and I'm not naive about where the meat I eat comes from, but this was just gross. I tried to blot it away but obviously I didn't get it all because as the chops were cooking more blood came to the surface and started to cook. Again, I blotted it away, but when I transferred the chops back to the pan with the sauce more blood came out and discolored the sauce. We still ate a chop each for dinner (using sauce that hadn't been contaminated), but whether it was psychosomatic or not we both felt ill after eating. It's going to be a long, long time before either of us eats pork again.

Grilled Pork Chops, Cheesy Orzo and Grilled Zucchini

After the success of the grilled pork chops we had last week, we decided to have them again. SP manned the grill and turned out moist, flavorful chops:


We also grilled some zucchini I'd gotten at the farmers market near my office:


... and I made some cheesy orzo:


To make the orzo I cooked some onion and garlic in a pan, then I added 2 cans of chicken broth and brought it to a boil before adding 2 cups of orzo. As the orzo cooked I chopped some herbs from my garden (basil, chives, rosemary and parsley). Once the orzo was cooked I mixed in the herbs, a splash of heavy cream and seasoned it with salt and pepper. Just before serving I added a generous amount of shredded Pecorino cheese. This stuff is so good we just kept eating and eating.

Grilled Pork Chops and Corn Fritters

On Thursday I picked up some corn at the farmer's market near my office so we could have corn fritters with our grilled pork chops:


The thing I love about a charcoal grill is that you don't need to do anything crazy with the meat to give it flavor. All I did with these chops was season them with salt and pepper. The charcoal provided the rest of the amazing flavor. These stayed nice and juicy because they were bone-in.


I've been waiting to make these corn fritters since we fell in love with them last summer. They are addictive.

Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

Monday is grocery night and since I never remember to plan ahead for dinner that night, we usually end up scrounging through the fridge and pantry trying to find something easy for dinner. This week I at least had the wherewithal to take some pork chops out of the freezer, but I didn't feel like making our usual breaded and fried variety. I remembered that years ago we made pork chops with apples and onions, so I thought I'd give that a go.


I sliced a large onion and an apple and cooked that in a pan with some butter and oil. The smells were reminding me of the chicken and apples dish I like to make, so I added in some celery as well. Once the veggies were soft I added a few glugs of white wine and deglazed the pan. All that got pushed to the side and the chops were seared on both sides. Once they were brown I covered them with the apple, onion and celery mixture and stuck the pan in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes so the chops could finish cooking through. They were moist and succulent.

We'd run out of milk so I couldn't do mashed potatoes. I just cubed and boiled the potatoes, drained them and tossed them with a little butter, parsley, salt and pepper. They were delicious. I also nuked some frozen corn and dinner was served.

Pork Chops and Mashed Cauliflower

This was Monday's dinner - breaded pork chops and mashed cauliflower:


It doesn't look like much on the plate, but it was really tasty and easy to prepare (a huge plus since we had to run to the supermarket after we finished eating). I was going to do my pork chops the way I always do, but then I remembered I was out of eggs. I had to improvise, so I pounded the chops, seasoned them with salt and pepper on both sides and then spread them with a very thin layer of mayo before coating them with breadcrumbs. This made them taste slightly richer, but mayo is mostly eggs anyway so this worked out rather well.

For the cauliflower I cut the head into small pieces and boiled it in salted water with a few cloves of crushed garlic for about 15 minutes. Once the cauliflower was nice and tender it went into the food processor with a tablespoon of cream cheese, a splash of milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper. I pureed it until it was nice and smooth and adjusted the seasonings. It was smooth and creamy with just the right amount of garlic flavor to make it interesting. I think this is a great way to eat cauliflower.

Pork Chops and Broccoli

I don't feel like I've made anything good for dinner lately. Friday we had pizza, which was great, but after that things went downhill. SP was at the auto show on Saturday with our nephews, so I had leftovers for lunch. Then we ended up going out Saturday night because we needed to unwind. Sunday we had pancakes for breakfast, but I didn't feel like taking a picture and they were just OK. I made them from scratch and was really proud of myself, but we don't have a real griddle pan so by the time I cooked them all the original ones were lukewarm at best. Our Big Game food was OK, but we only had chicken leftover. I made some rice and minced some scallion to go with it, but the chicken did not reheat well at all. In fact, it was almost inedible. Then last night we had to run over to my MIL's house to take care of something and ended up going out to eat with her, which meant I had nothing for lunch today, which equaled a peanut butter sandwich, some pretzels and a few slices of cheddar cheese. Not exactly filling.

Which brings me to tonight. I won't even get into how we ate at the same incredibly-bad-for-you-but-oh-so-amazingly-tasty restaurant on Saturday AND Monday nights, but let's just say I was looking for something a little less fattening tonight. I defrosted some pork chops so I did the usual breaded and lightly fried in olive oil deal and served it with steamed broccoli:


I really loved steamed broccoli and the pork chops are always tasty. No starch, in an effort to be a tad healthier. Why, why, why does all the stuff that's so bad for you taste so damn good?

Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

I learned a valuable lesson last week - boneless pork chops are only good for certain preparations. Case in point - Smothered Pork Chops really should be made with bone-in chops. I only had boneless chops on hand, but that didn't stop me from making the smothered chops:


Don't get me wrong - there was nothing bad about the meal, it just wasn't as good as it could have been. I also didn't use enough cayenne pepper in the sauce so there wasn't that spicy undertone we love about this meal. I think I'll save this for when I have bone-in chops from now on. At least you can't go wrong with mashed potatoes and peas.

Pork Chops in a Sweet Chili Sauce with Creamy Cilantro Potato Salad

In catching up on the posts from the tail end of The One Year Project I saw that they had given high praise to this recipe for Pork Chops in a Sweet Chili Sauce with Creamy Cilantro Potato Salad. Once again I have to say how happy I was that those guys decided to cook their way through Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats cookbook. This recipe was something I probably never would have tried on my own, but it was a real winner in our house.


I hadn't told SP what we were having for dinner last night, so when he came home and found me cooking he was curious. He saw the bowl with the potato salad and said, "Is that potato salad?" with obvious excitement in his voice. The potato salad:


... was absolutely amazing. It had a slight spiciness to it that I couldn't place (probably from the red onion), and the flavors of the red pepper, celery, cilantro, garlic and red wine vinegar were great. SP absolutely loved it.

The thing that would have kept me from making this dish was the pairing of the potato salad with the sweet chili and onion sauce for the pork chops. I couldn't imagine how they would work together, but I was pleasantly surprised.


The pork chops were on the small side because I cut two huge chops in half, but the flavors of the sauce were amazing, especially mixed with some of the potato salad. I loved every bite of this meal.

Pork Chops in a Sweet Chili Sauce with Creamy Cilantro Potato Salad

2 ½ pounds russet potatoes (3 medium-large potatoes), peeled and cubed
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 (1 ½-inch-thick) boneless center-cut pork chops
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder (a heaping palmful)
½ tablespoon ground cumin (half a palmful)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup mayonnaise
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (a couple of handfuls), chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (eyeball it)
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, add some salt, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until tender. Drain the potatoes and spread out onto a rimmed cookie sheet to cool quickly, about 10 minutes.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. Place the chops in the skillet and sear for about 2 minutes on each side to caramelize. Transfer the chops to a rimmed cookie sheet and place in the oven to finish off, 7 or 8 minutes, until the meat is firm to the touch, cooked through but not tough. Remove from the oven and let the chops rest, covered with a piece of aluminum foil, for a few minutes.

4. While the chops bake, return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, three quarters of the chopped onions, the chili powder, cumin, two thirds of the chopped garlic, the brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until reduced by half. Once reduced, turn off the heat and whisk in the cold butter.

5. While the sweet chili-onion sauce is cooking, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cilantro, the remaining chopped onions, the remaining chopped garlic, the red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add to the dressing the chopped celery and red bell peppers. When you are ready to serve, add the cooled potatoes. Stir the potatoes to combine, and check the seasoning. Pour the sweet chili-onion sauce over the rested pork chops; serve the creamy cilantro potato salad alongside.

Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

SP is still sick with a serious head cold and I was going a bit stir-crazy after sitting home with him all day yesterday, so I decided to run out to the wholesale club this morning. We've been out of shampoo for a week at least, not to mention our freezer was looking a little bare. I stocked up on pork chops, ground beef, chicken breasts and frozen tilapia. It's great to see the freezer full of meat and fish again - I'm really looking forward to all the meals I'm going to cook in the coming weeks.

After doing all the cleaning, shopping and taking care of a sick husband all weekend, I wanted some comfort food. A family favorite are pork chops pounded thin and coated in egg and then bread crumbs mixed with Pecorino cheese. I served them with mashed potatoes cooked with garlic and frozen peas:


It was a hearty, satisfying meal. Poor SP couldn't taste a thing, but he cleaned his plate nonetheless. A good start to what's shaping up to be a good week of cooking. I love when I've got a full freezer. One of these days we'll actually get the coffin freezer for the garage and then I'll really stock up at the wholesale club. I can only imagine how crazy that bill will be!

Pork Chops, Creamy Pasta, Zucchini

On Thursday we had breaded pork chops, creamy pasta and steamed zucchini:


I did the chops the same way I have for the past few weeks - a quick dip in egg and then bread crumbs before being fried in a little olive oil. Taking a page from the creamy broccoli we had at C & T's house last weekend, I made a sauce for the pasta using butter, some chopped onion, garlic and milk thickened with flour. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and added copious amounts of grated Pecorino for flavor. It was fantastic, in a cheesy way that mirrored mac & cheese. The zucchini was steamed with garlic and tossed with a little salt, pepper and oil. Very satisfying, as always.

Pork Chops, Pierogies, Zucchini

No, you aren't experiencing deja vu...this is the same meal I made last week. We enjoyed it so much we thought we'd have it again (and use up the very last of the 5-pound bag of pierogies in our freezer.


I made everything exactly the same as last week, only I used boneless pork chops because they were on sale at the wholesale club. I pounded them thin, quick egg wash and then into seasoned bread crumbs mixed with pecorino cheese and then into a non-stick skillet for a shallow fry in some olive oil until they were crispy and golden brown. For the pierogies I boiled them and then added them to the skillet with some slow-cooked onions. I steamed the zucchini with some garlic and then mixed half with pecorino, olive oil, salt and pepper. Yum, yum, yum!

Pork Chops, Pierogies, Zucchini

Last night's dinner was all about using up some of the odds and ends in the freezer. We had two bone-in pork chops and about 1/3 of a bag of frozen pierogies. SP asked if we could have steamed zucchini and it just happened to be on sale at the store.


In an effort to be slightly more healthy, I opted not to make the pierogies with bacon. Instead I thinly sliced two small onions and about 1/3 of a red onion I found in the fridge and slow cooked them in a touch of oil until they were soft. I boiled the pierogies until they floated to the surface and then tossed them with the onions.

We both wanted a thin, breaded pork chop but I didn't want to forgo the bone, which helps keep them moist as they cook. As luck would have it I saw a recipe in a magazine that called for pounding a bone-in chop so I used that method. All you do is make a slit to separate the meat from the bone at both ends and then pound it like you normally would. I coated the chops in egg beaten with a little water and then some Italian seasoned bread crumbs with some grated Pecorino tossed in. The chops were fried in a little olive oil until they were crispy and golden brown. In this photo I've removed the bone from my chop to make it easier to eat.


Steamed zucchini is a new one for me, so I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I cut the zucchini in half and then into large pieces and put them in my steamer basket along with two cloves of crushed garlic. I made sure to keep a close watch since we both like tender-crisp veggies. As soon as they were done I put half the zucchini (my portion) in a bowl along with the garlic, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a little grated Pecorino and tossed them around. SP opted to have his zucchini plain. I absolutely loved these and wished I'd bought more. I'll definitely make zucchini this way again.

Smothered Pork Chops

Pork chops were on sale at the store this week. I was craving comfort food and wanted an easy meal so I decided to make Smothered Pork Chops:


Tonight's meal was even better then the last time, although it wasn't until I looked at the pictures that I realized I made the exact same sides - mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. I guess it all goes well together.

The gravy was world's better this time, with a richer, better depth of flavor. I coated the chops in flour mixed with garlic powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder and some dried parsley but before I made the sauce I added a chopped shallot to the pan. I think it added a nice mild onion flavor. I also used heavy cream in the sauce instead of milk, which helped with the richness.

The mashed potatoes were excellent, as always, although I ran out of Plugra awhile back so these weren't as rich. I also made sure to undercook the broccoli since SP likes it crispy and it was perfect.

Tennessee Whiskey Pork Chops

Jen, a girl on a cooking board I frequent, asked me to post this recipe for Tennessee Whiskey Pork Chops that I made two times this summer. When I asked SP to help me find the recipe it sparked a renewed interest in Cook's Country. We really love that magazine and there are so many good recipes we haven't tried yet. Here you go, Jen! Enjoy! If you make this for your husband please let me know. :)

Tennessee Whiskey Pork Chops
Serves 4
August/September 2005 Cook's Country

1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey or 1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Whisk whiskey, cider, brown sugar, mustard, cayenne, vanilla and 2 teaspoons vinegar together in medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup whiskey mixture to gallon-size zipper-locl plastic bag, add pork chops, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn bag to coat chops with marinade and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Reserve remaining whiskey mixture separately.

Remove chops from bag, pat dry with paper towels, and discard marinade. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season chops with salt and pepper and cook until well browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to plate and cover tightly with foil.

Add reserved whiskey mixture to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced to a thick glaze, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and, holding onto chops, tip plate to add any accumulated juices back to the skillet. Add remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, whisk in butter, and simmer glaze until thick and sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Return chops to skillet and let rest in pan until sauce clings to chops, turning chops occasionally to coat both sides. Check to make sure chops are no longer pink (145 degrees on instant-read thermometer) after about 5 minutes. Transfer chops to platter and top with sauce.