Caribbean Pork Chops with Orange-Ginger Glaze, Black Beans and Saffron Brown Rice

I love caribbean food.

When we lived in the Florida Keys, Mr.W and I often enjoyed the local dishes. Jerk chicken, cuban roast pork and picadillo were some of my favorites; they were always accompanied by black beans and yellow rice, and usually plantains.

I've been hankering for some of that deliciousness lately, and so I made some last night and was very pleased with the result.

The pork chops were dusted with jerk seasoning and seared, then braised in a mixture of chicken broth and some lovely ginger-orange marmalade I discovered yesterday. This French import is no-sugar-added and sweetened only with fruit juice, so I wasted no time snatching this jelly from the market shelf, even at over $4 for the jar. A rare indulgence, and well worth it.

The beans simmered with ingredients right from my freezer--what a comfort food! I made the yellow rice from brown rice. You can see I garnished the rice with a chive flower. Mr.W was horrified and didn't know what it was. Sometimes it's good to keep the husband on his toes.

I wish I'd had a plantain to enjoy with this meal, but the glaze was sweet enough and a nice balance to the other flavors on the plate.

Caribbean Pork Chop with Orange-Ginger Glaze, Black Beans and Saffron Brown Rice

serves 2

Saffron Brown Rice

(this takes the longest time to prepare)

1 cup brown rice, rinsed

2 cups water

2 pinches saffron threads, crumbled

pinch kosher salt

sprinkle adobo seasoning (or granulated garlic)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Let go for about 30-40 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Black Beans

1 15-ounce can black beans

1/2 can water

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or 1 clove chopped fresh garlic) or adobo seasoning

pinch kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chives (I used frozen)

2 teaspoons tomato paste (I used frozen)

1 tablespoon cilantro (again, frozen)

about 1/3 cup chunked frozen yucca (I buy this in a Goya bag) or peeled white potato

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan; simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until yucca or potato are tender (about 15-20 minutes).

Caribbean Pork Chops with Orange-Ginger Glaze

2 boneless pork chops

caribbean jerk powdered seasoning blend

1 cup chicken stock or broth

2 tablespoons no sugar added, fruit juice sweetened ginger-orange marmalade (or just use orange marmalade with a few slices of ginger added)

Sprinkle pork chops generously with caribbean jerk seasoning on both sides; allow to sit for 5 minutes while you heat up a saucepan over a medium flame.

Brown both sides of pork chops, turning only once. You want a nice crust on both sides. Add chicken stock and marmalade. Cover pan loosely with foil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes to finish cooking chops.

Remove pork chops from liquid and set aside. Reduce pan juices to a thick glaze. Serve chops drizzled with glaze.

Orange-Cumin Roast Pork

On a cold day, there's nothing better than a roast in a low oven for several hours. Not only can you rest knowing that dinner is planned, but the warmth created in your home makes coming home so refreshing for loved ones.

Deliciously savory, fragranced with cumin and orange, this roast makes your house smell wonderful. The pork just melts in your mouth, and is perfectly paired with root vegetables cooked right along with the meat.

This meal is also great in the crock pot, and a perfect use for all that dried orange zest I've been making.

Orange-Cumin Roast Pork

serves 4

Spice Blend:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
scant 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
few scrapes nutmeg

2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast, rolled and tied

3 large waxy potatoes, peeled (or not) and cut up

3 carrots, peeled and chunked

1 tablespoon orange zest (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/4 cup orange juice

Combine spice blend ingredients and rub on roast. Set aside.

Place vegetables in the bottom of roasting pan; pour orange juice over. Place prepared meat on top and cover the entire pan tightly with foil or a pan lid.

Roast in preheated 275*F oven for four hours, or until fork-tender.

Ladies Xmas Luncheon

I wanted to serve my ladies' group something a little special this week. Not that every week isn't special--but the last meeting before Christmas called for something a little more. There were only four of us this week, so it could be an intimate meal.

So I set a pretty table.

And lit some candles.

My friend and I planned a special menu of Pork Loin Roast, Mashed Butternut Squash, Cinnamon- and Nutmeg-Spiced Applesauce, Broccoli Parmesan and a dessert of Sugar-Free Chocolate Mousse with Whipped Cream.

On each chair I placed a small gift, wrapped just so in my signature brown craft paper adorned with gorgeous holiday ribbons, raffia and other pretty doo-dads. Covered with the ends of the tablecloth, they were completely invisible until they pulled out their chairs to be seated.

What a treat it was for me to witness their delight, and it's always a pleasure to hear the "Oohs" and "Aahs" of a well-executed and much-enjoyed meal.

M made the squash, applesauce and dessert. But I made the pork, and oh, how delicious it was.

Pork Loin Roast
serves 4 generous portions

1 2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast, tied

For Marinade:
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried italian parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon low-salt soy sauce

Line a 13x9x2-inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Using a mortar and pestle (or a cutting board and the flat of your knife), mash together garlic and salt to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl and mix in parsley, sage, thyme, chili powder, cinnamon, lemon juice and soy sauce.

Place the roast in the pan and rub with marinade on all sides. Place roast fat-side up and set aside to marinate for about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating to 425*F.

Roast in the center of oven at 425*F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250*F and cook for one hour. Cover roast with foil and return to oven for another 2 hours, or until thermometer registers 155*F. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.


You won't be shy about licking your fingers while eating this succulent roast!

And before anyone creams me for typing "Xmas" instead of "Christmas": Many Christians denounce this oft-used shortcut, proclaiming that it takes Christ out of the holiday. But if you understand the history of language, you know that X was the greek letter for the sound Ch and used as a symbol for the word Christ. So by using X, we are indeed identifying Christ as the reason for this holiday.

For references elsewhere, you can see here, here and here.

Apples & Thyme: Not Your Mother's Pork Chops and Applesauce

“Pawk Chaaaahps an' appleshaash. Gee, Alish, that'sh shwell.” --Peter Brady

I grew up eating in front of the tv. My mother's schizophrenia emerged when I was seven years old and my brother was six, and my grandmother—crusty, independent, and fiercely over-protective—did everything she could to take care of us and our mom.

Our dad had left years earlier, and our grandfather wasn't in the picture, either. So g'ma did the best she could, for which I am forever grateful. She made her monthly retirement and social security checks stretch to cover meals for the whole family, which I prepared according to her growled instructions.

I won't lie. It's not easy having a mentally ill person in your home. Even more difficult when it's your mom. Everyone in the family resents having to live like that, and everyone is on edge.

But that's life, and it's amazing how much strength God gives you when you need it.

One of our regular meals was pork chops and applesauce. You know the kind. A leathery slab of over-cooked pork with a blob of applesauce served right from the jar at table. With instant mashed, of course.

We often ate from tv trays in front of the television. Because of mom's illness, she would become angry at the least provocation—sometimes no provocation at all. So conversation was limited at home, in attempt to keep the inevitable from happening. It was simpler to eat in front of the tv—no talking, just watching tv. And the Brady Bunch was one of our favorites.

When Vanielje Kitchen announced this foodblogging event, celebrating mothers and grandmothers with a recipe, I really racked my brain. I can not truly say that anyone taught me good cooking—no, I was taught cooking for sustenance using canned produce and boxed starches... until, that is, I left home and taught myself how to cook, using fresh foods. Most of my childhood is better left forgotten, truth be told.

So instead I celebrate myself today, because I—with strength from my God—reached past my upbringing. I've overcome my own past. I've loved, I've travelled all over the world, and I've enjoyed a measure of success in the professional world. I have a good marriage to a wonderful, decent man. And I've lived to forgive—my mother, for being sick; my grandmother, for being crusty and suffocatingly restrictive; my father, for leaving us to such a fate; and myself, for those unfair feelings I've had toward my own family.

And for this theme of Apples and Thyme, I offer you my rendition of the meal from my favorite Brady Bunch Episode... and I hope Inge will not be offended that I, too, used Apples and Thyme as my main ingredients. I think this dish truly does reflect my relationship with both my mother and grandmother—because I have reinvented myself, and my cooking.

Not Your Mother's Pork Chops and Applesauce

2 boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 tablespoon mustard
1 cup apple cider
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon butter

Season chops with salt and pepper. Brown in olive oil in a skillet over a medium flame. When browned on both sides, remove chops from pan and drain off excess grease. Return pan to stove and set flame to low. Add mustard, cider, thyme and sage; whisk to blend. Return chops to pan, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. (This results in a well done chop; if you prefer your pork less than well done, start checking after 5 minutes.)

Remove chops from pan again; increase flame to medium-high to bring sauce to a boil. Reduce pan sauce to ½ cup (it took me about 5 minutes). Turn off heat and add butter; stir to melt.

Serve chops with pan sauce over steamed brown rice, or any desired side dish. I like it just by itself!

Note: This would be lovely with shallot in the sauce; I just didn't have any.


While this event is a celebration to honor the women who shaped our lives, I have to say that I am who I've become in spite of what has happened. And so thankful, so very thankful, that neither I nor my dear, sweet, wonderful brother, were trapped by our circumstances.

To see the roundup of this year's Apples & Thyme event, click here.


Mrs.W

Easy Weeknight Meal

I've stumbled upon a fast & delicious weeknight meal--and oh, so versatile!

Pork Chops with Apple-Mustard Sauce

4 (1" thick) boneless pork chops
salt & pepper
canola oil spray
1/4 c finely chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp butter
1/2 c apple cider
1 tbsp mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 c half-n-half

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350*F.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Pat pork chops dry and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spray skillet with canola oil (you could also use regular cooking oil or olive here) then brown chops on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Hint: turn only once for a tender chop!

Transfer browned chops to a shallow baking pan, reserving skillet, and bake, uncovered, until cooked through--about 20-30 minutes. Let stand, tented with foil, until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, add butter to skillet over low and cook onion until very soft, stirring occasionally. Add apple cider, mustard, lemon juice and thyme and stir well to combine as it heats through. (At this point you could let the sauce thicken if desired consistency is more gravy-ish.) Finish with half-n-half and heat for just another minute or two, then remove from heat. Don't let the sauce boil once you've added the half-n-half.


Serve chops with sauce, alongside sides of your choice. I made stuffing-from-a-box (with a handful of dried cranberries added for good measure) and 1/2 bag frozen broccoli and cauliflower. Yum!

And I want to share my secrets for making quick stuffing-from-a-box. People don't usually know its not homemade. First, I never buy the famous name-brand. I always go for the generic--the taste is less identifiable. Second, I always throw in some kind of dried fruit--cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apple... whatever is on hand. And last, I usually use half water half low-salt chicken (or veg) broth when preparing the stuffing according to package directions. It really makes a nice flavor combination, and again, people can't tell it's not from scratch.

Now I mentioned at the beginning that this is a versatile recipe--you can make this sauce to go with chicken breasts, steak or even fish. Instead of thyme you could use tarragon for delicious results. I used regular mustard because that's what I had in the fridge--but dijon or coarse country-style mustard would be a great choice. Apple cider could be replaced with any kind of broth or even some white wine--yum! Finally, I was able to make the chops, sauce and stuffing ahead of time; it reheated very well.

So if you have the chance to try it, this is a great one for regular weeknight rotations.

Enjoy!

Mrs. W