Tonight I made use of those pork chops I took out last night. And boy, did they turn out to be delicious! In a nod to my new half-Indian nephew, I made a mango chutney to go with the chops. It is fantastic. Spicy, but the perfect compliment to the pork.
For the mango chutney, I pretty much followed a recipe I found on the Food Network's web site by Alton Brown. Now, I am not a big Food Network watchers, but I really like Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chili recipe so I thought I'd give this a try. I made couple of adjustments and I didn't really measure my ingredients too perfectly, but it turned out great. Very spicy, but great!
Check out the Alton Brown recipe here. (Not sure if there are copyright issues for reprinting so just follow the link.)
Some of the thing I changed:
1. I probably used less mango than it called for, but it was fine. I only had one mango.
2. I didn't use macadamia nuts because I just didn't have any and I didn't really want nuts.
Once I was finished cooking, I did to the ice water bath to cool it and I put it in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Then I made the pork chops themselves. I hate how pork chops sometimes end up so dry, so I tried to use a brine to tenderize them. So, I used this:
Pork Chops in Orange Brine
4 cups orange juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
I combined all the ingredients in a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag. Add the pork chops and make sure that they are coated with the brine. Put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
When you are ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the chops from the brine and pat dry. Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper on each side of the chops. Heat up olive oil in an oven proof frying pan. When the oil is nice and hot, place the chops in the oil. Brown both sides well, only flipping them once. (This should be about 2 or 3 minutes per side.)
Once the chops are browned, place the pan in the oven to roast the chops for about 15 minutes. If your chops are pretty thin, you might want to check them sooner. If they are thick, it might take up to 30 minutes to cook through. They should be very slightly pink inside.
I served the chops with a side of whole wheat cous cous that I made out of a box. I love this side dish since it is super easy and fast. After you boil the water, it only takes five minutes for the cous cous to be ready. I also served a side of asparagus. I probably could have found a more Indian vegetable, but oh well. Asparagus is just so tasty.
And I have to say, the brine worked. Even though my pork chops were slightly more cooked than I had hoped, they were tender and juicy. Not the cardboard I usually make.
Anyway, it turned out terrifically and I highly recommend the mango chutney. It made the whole meal more exotic and exciting.
Today is my birthday, so I don't think I am going to cook for myself. And if Damien doesn't make me my favorite birthday cake - chocolate cake with vanilla frosting covered in coconut - then I just might have to make it myself : )
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