Ahhh Fall. It is one of the best things about living in Alabama for sure. Of course, being in a place where people truly enjoy eating food (and don't feel so guilty afterwards) is a bonus, too. But watching the leaves change and having to change out all of my shorts for sweaters is a treat - it's like getting a new wardrobe every 6 months!
Anyways, I digress... The weather has been wonderful around here lately. the trees are dropping their incredibly colorful leaves and everything is awash in reds and siennas and ochres. Even Addison is loving the weather. She was having so much fun with the leaves in the front yard yesterday, that she entertained herself for long enough for me to do some raking - which she thought was quite comical (the neighbors probably did too). Here's a cute picture of her amidst the foliage.
All the raking and the crisp breeze put me in the mood for a good hearty dinner, so I decided to try my hand at pork chops. Now people around here eat a lot of pork - I'd say it's more popular than beef or even chicken perhaps. So attempting to assimilate, I've been tempted to try cooking pork more, but it is still a bit of a mystery meat to me. But thanks to the trusty Internet, I found a tasty marinade (which I've listed below). I let the chops marinate for about 3 hours, which was all the time I had before dinner, even though the recommendation was to let them sit overnight. Maybe next time.
To cook the chops I browned them in my cast iron skillet on med-high heat. This didn't take very long - maybe a couple of minutes on each side. I then turned the burner on low and covered the skillet to let them finish cooking through.
Meanwhile I cooked up some mashed potatoes and broccoli. Once those were done, I removed the chops and plated everything. Since there were some delicious looking drippings still in the pan, I decided to make a quick gravy. I grabbed a handful of flour (probably a tablespoon or two), and used a whisk to mix it into the drippings. I let the mixture cook for a few minutes, whisking the whole time (burner on low). Then when it was smooth and had bubbled a bit, I added milk and continued to whisk until I had the consistency I wanted. I added a little pepper to taste, and poured it over the plated potatoes and pork chop. Delicious!
Happy Fall everyone!
Pork Chop Marinade
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Vinegar
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp orange juice (or other citrus juice)
1 Tbsp Mustard (out of your fridge, not dried)
A couple of cloves of garlic (depending on your proclivity to garlic)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley
Mix, put in a ziplock bag or sealable container with pork chops and marinate as long as possible (ideally overnight). This should make enough for up to 6 chops.
Anyways, I digress... The weather has been wonderful around here lately. the trees are dropping their incredibly colorful leaves and everything is awash in reds and siennas and ochres. Even Addison is loving the weather. She was having so much fun with the leaves in the front yard yesterday, that she entertained herself for long enough for me to do some raking - which she thought was quite comical (the neighbors probably did too). Here's a cute picture of her amidst the foliage.
All the raking and the crisp breeze put me in the mood for a good hearty dinner, so I decided to try my hand at pork chops. Now people around here eat a lot of pork - I'd say it's more popular than beef or even chicken perhaps. So attempting to assimilate, I've been tempted to try cooking pork more, but it is still a bit of a mystery meat to me. But thanks to the trusty Internet, I found a tasty marinade (which I've listed below). I let the chops marinate for about 3 hours, which was all the time I had before dinner, even though the recommendation was to let them sit overnight. Maybe next time.
To cook the chops I browned them in my cast iron skillet on med-high heat. This didn't take very long - maybe a couple of minutes on each side. I then turned the burner on low and covered the skillet to let them finish cooking through.
Meanwhile I cooked up some mashed potatoes and broccoli. Once those were done, I removed the chops and plated everything. Since there were some delicious looking drippings still in the pan, I decided to make a quick gravy. I grabbed a handful of flour (probably a tablespoon or two), and used a whisk to mix it into the drippings. I let the mixture cook for a few minutes, whisking the whole time (burner on low). Then when it was smooth and had bubbled a bit, I added milk and continued to whisk until I had the consistency I wanted. I added a little pepper to taste, and poured it over the plated potatoes and pork chop. Delicious!
Happy Fall everyone!
Pork Chop Marinade
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Vinegar
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp orange juice (or other citrus juice)
1 Tbsp Mustard (out of your fridge, not dried)
A couple of cloves of garlic (depending on your proclivity to garlic)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley
Mix, put in a ziplock bag or sealable container with pork chops and marinate as long as possible (ideally overnight). This should make enough for up to 6 chops.
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