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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
Today's chicken breasts, pork chops are interchangeableWhoever came up with the phrase "pork is today's white meat," was not only a marketing genius but was absolutely right. Pork has become very, very lean and fat carries flavor. Lean pork and lean chicken, both need added flavor and once flavored they taste very much alike. I have found, and perhaps you have, too, that you can handily substitute chicken in recipes calling for pork chops or pork tenderloin; and vice versa. This is pretty handy to know when you are getting tired of one or the other of today's white meats. Try it sometime with your favorite recipes from either side of the barnyard fence. Honey-Glazed Pork Chops Thick, succulent chops, slathered with a spicy-sweet glaze, are seared, and then baked in the oven. With this you may want to serve old-fashioned home fries. 1 tablespoon honey
Blend honey, vinegar and mustard in a shallow dish. Add the pork chops, turn to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes, or longer. Preheat oven to 450 F. Heat a large, heavy ovenproof skillet. Add oil and heat until very hot. Season chops with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook over high heat until well browned on the bottom. Turn chops, put the skillet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until meat is cooked through but still juicy. Makes 4 servings. Pork Chops with Wilted Onion & Tomatoes Yellow or red bite-size tomatoes are prettiest to use in this recipe, but any tomato will do. Great served with creamy mashed potatoes spiked with sautéed onions or scallions. The potatoes are an old French custom. 3 tablespoons olive oil
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with salt, stirring until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl. Pat pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over high heat until just smoking, and then sauté chops until browned and just cooked through. Transfer chops to a platter and keep warm. Return onion to skillet and add tomatoes, then sauté, stirring until tomatoes are slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve the chops topped with onion and tomato. Makes 4 servings. Pork Chops with Mushrooms, Dill & Sour Cream Any kind of mushroom will do, you can even use canned mushrooms if the local fungi have failed or are out of season. 4 boneless pork chops
Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over high heat until foam subsides, and then sauté chops until browned and just cooked through. Remove chops and keep warm. Reduce heat and add remaining butter to skillet, cook onions and mushrooms, stirring, until tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in sour cream, water and any meat juice found on platter, dill, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until heated through. Do not let boil. Spoon sauce over chops. Makes 2 servings. Pork Chops with Sweet-&-Sour Cider Glaze Mustard seeds are a delightful surprise in this quick and easy preparation. Sautéed apples are good with pork no matter how you prepare it. 2 pork rib chops, about 1-inch thick
Pat pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil until hot but not smoking, then sauté chops until browned on both sides. Stir together cider and brown sugar and add to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, turning chops once, until meat is almost cooked through. Transfer to plate. Add vinegar and mustard seeds to sauce and boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits, until reduced to about 1/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Return chops with any juice on plate, to skillet and simmer until meat is just cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened. Makes 2 servings. Parmesan Pasta PPP = Parmesan Pasta with Pork = a delicious combination. Just add a green vegetable such as kale, spinach or broccoli, for a colorful and delicious meal. 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat oil in skilled over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs and sauté until toasted, stirring frequently. After browning add lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pasta pot with reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan, cream, butter and cayenne. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle each serving with toasted bread crumbs. Makes 4 cups. Today's chicken and pork cook alike!
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