Thursday, March 10, 2011

Spicy Pork Chops with Applesauce

I like pork chops. They're a good, lean meat that often costs a little less than other meats at the market. Chops are easy to cook, and with this rub - delicious.

Last night I cooked up these chops and served them with apple sauce, roasted root vegetables, and steamed artichokes. The great thing about this meal is it cost about $5 a person, was a full meal, healthy, mostly vegetables, and - using a Foreman Grill - had very little clean up. It's a meal you could use when you have company and it looks great, but not too expensive. Jared even called it a Biggest Loser meal (is that good?).

(adapted from Chris Schlesinger from finecooking.com)

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. cumin seeds (or normal cumin)
1 Tbs. freshly cracked coriander seeds (or whatever coriander you have in your cupboard)
1 Tbs. ground dried chile (chipotle, ancho, or mild chili powder works too)
1 Tbs. kosher salt (to cut down on sodium, you could take this out, so I use somewhere in between)
1 Tbs. freshly cracked black pepper
4 bone-in center-cut pork chops (1 to 1-1/2 inches thick)
2 Tbs. or more of olive oil (no need if using a grill)
1 jar of organic applesauce

Combine the cumin, coriander, chili, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and rub each side evenly with the spice mixture.

On George Foreman: You know how this works. Slap 'em on there and let them cook for probably 15 minutes. This would be a great meal grilled outside (sans Foreman) in the summer too!

On stovetop: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chops until well browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until meat is done, 2 to 4 minutes. To check for doneness, make a small cut near the bone and look inside—the pork should have a hint of pinkness. If it's still red, cook for another minute and check again. Transfer the chops to a plate, tent with foil, and let rest for 3 to 5 min. before serving with applesauce.

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