Between all the Christmas parties, the end of the year project scramble and it getting dark so early during the day, not to mention that the end of the world was fast approaching last week it was pretty busy and I’m surprised we were able to pull this one off.
I got home later than usual and had planned on going for a run (woops, still putting off starting to get back in shape with a Marathon in three months facing me down…whatever, New Year’s resolutions, right?) because I’d skipped going to the gym and elected to eat lunch at work (dude, seriously? Who the hell skips the gym to eat lunch…). Alas, it was already dark, J had a pot of Risotto on the stovetop going and there was a bowl of homemade eggnog on the counter just begging to be consumed. I don’t think I had even removed my tie before I had a nice cup of it going…didn’t realize it was virgin, Maker’s Mark to be added at one’s discretion, until I’d consumed nearly the whole cup. Really, talk about wasting the opportunity for a coronary. As I was sitting there contemplating going for a run, holding a cup of cream fortified with egg yolks I realized that I had put some pork chops into the fridge that morning in the hopes that I would be forced to use them for dinner that evening. Now, I bring that up because I read recently in Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking” that frozen pork, because of its lower fat ratio, doesn’t keep, even frozen, as long as beef; chicken keeps and even shorter period of time. Two things about that 1) woops, had no idea and I’ve definitely been guilty of buying chicken and storing it for an untold number of months only to wonder what that faint, funky smell is when you thaw the meat could be – hey, it was frozen, right? – and 2) On Food and Cooking is a serious work of ingenuity. It’s not light reading and it’s a little text bookish, but it’s a great resource on why food acts the way it does. If you’re a nerd like I am and enjoy some scientific elucidation about why you can’t get that damn sauce to set, look no further.
Over Thanksgiving, Mom had served us a pork loin that pulled me out of that family-time hangover not because the meat was particularly stunning, but because the chutney served with it was outstanding. This chutney was that condiment you could eat out of the jar without the meat underneath. Ah-ha-mazing, I highly recommend it for this and whatever else you might be cooking up that has a substantial amount of protein and may be lacking in the flavor department. Put it next to that Christmas ham, god knows its about time that damn piece of pig got with this century.
Spiced Pork Chops with Chutney
Adapted from Cooking Light
I have played with this recipe because it looked a little boring when I was putting it together. I’ll include the extra ingredients in italics for your convenience.
Chutney
1 tablespoon butter
5 cups (1/4-inch) cubed, peeled apple (about 3 apples)
¼ cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dry mustard (I didn’t have this so I pulverized yellow mustard seeds and included the powder in the chutney – turned out just fine).
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
½ – 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Pork:
¾ teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper (again, didn’t have this on hand, so I used chilie powder from our local Ethiopian market so it had a bit of a kick. I imagine if you used smoky paprika and cayenne pepper you would probably get a similar flavor).
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground mace
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
Cooking spray or high smoke point oil – Peanut oil or Canola oil are good candidates here.
To prepare the chutney, melt the butter ina nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple; sauté for approximately 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the cranberries and the remaining chutney ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until apples are tender or until you have achieved a thick consistency. Cover while simmering wetter consistency, uncover for a dryer chutney. Stir occasionally.
To prepare the pork while the chutney simmers, combine the marinade spices in a large Ziploc bag. Place the pork chops into the bag and shake to coat the chops evenly. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes or longer depending on how long you would like meat to rest. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray or oil and add the pork to the pan. Cook the on each side until browned and use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork is cooked through to completion. Allow the chops to rest, covered with tin foil for at least 10 minutes. Serve with the Chutney.
Wok, Pot & Barrel 