Sweet Mother of Pork

I don't cook pork very often, for no other reason than I just usually forget about it. I know that the right cut can in fact be a very healthy option. According to the National Pork Board website, lean cuts of pork rival lean cuts of chicken in fat, calories and cholesterol.

I found tonight's pork recipe in the Eating Well magazine I picked up at Mustard Seed the other day. I used to subscribe to the magazine, but my subscription lapsed and I keep forgetting to renew it, which is kind of dumb considering I more often than not buy it anyway.

Thyme, Pork Chop & Pineapple Skillet Supper
Source: Eating Well, July/August 2011

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp pineapple or apricot preserves or jam or orange marmalade (I used pineapple preserves)
• 3 tbsp OJ, plus more if needed
• 2 tsp stone-ground or Dijon mustard (I used Dijon)
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 4 fresh or canned pineapple rings (1/2-inch thick), cut in half, any juice reserved
• 2 tsp butter
• 4 4-5oz boneless pork loin chops (1/2-inch thick), trimmed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (didn't use fresh)
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided (skip)
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper, divided (skip)

Directions:

• If the preserves are chunky, chop any large pieces. Combine preserves, 3 tbsp OJ, mustard, ginger and curry powder in a small bowl, set aside.
• Pour pineapple juice into a measuring cup, if necessary, add enough OJ to equal 1/3c total. Set aside.
• Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Immediately turn them over and sprinkle with another 1/2 tbsp thyme and the remaining salt and pepper.
• Cook the chops, turning occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until browned, 3-4 minutes.
• Add the reserved juice to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the chops are cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
• Add pineapple, the reserved sauce and the remaining 1 tbsp thyme to the pan. Cook, stirring until hot and bubbly, 1-2 minutes.
• To serve, spoon sauce onto the chops and pineapple.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 257 cals; 8g fat (3g sat, 3g mono); 72mg cholesterol; 25g carbohydrates; 8g added sugars; 22g protein; 2g fiber; 388mg sodium; 434mg potassium.
Nutritional bonus! Vitamin C (78% daily value)

We had brown rice (serving - 2/3 c) and peas (serving - 2/3 c) with the meal. The boys also had Alexia ciabatta rolls.

Reviews:
I mentioned in a past blog that I don't love skillet cooking, and this recipe is one example why. I feel like it took much longer to cook the pork chops all the way through. Plus I feel like I smell like the meal. The meal was by no means burnt because I'm not THAT bad of a cook, but it was not even close to the pretty, light picture shown in the magazine. The sauce was kind of sweet (um - pineapple, more pineapple and OJ - duh), and the kid didn't like it, although he did like the pork chop. The hubs liked the pineapple sauce more than the (plain) peas - he refused to eat them. But, that has less to do with this dish and more to do with the fact he sometimes simply behaves like a little kid! Would I make this recipe again? Probably not.

OK, maybe a teeny bit of burnt action happening