Full Baked

So, yesterday was super enjoyable. We had lunch with William's grandmother, mom, siblings, and uncle who flew in from up north. He has the best family. Biggest, too. He has ten siblings. Yes, ten. And no, they aren't Pentecostal. I grew up basically an only kid (my three siblings were around 18 when I was born). That said, it's a wild experience for me come holiday time. Or really any family get together.. tons of loud stimulation. Never a dull (or quiet) moment. I do treasure every one of them, all fifty or so.

After lunch we did some shopping. Hey-oh! I feel like I haven't been "real" shopping in forever. Granted, it was basically window shopping downtown, but it still felt nice. I usually hibernate super hard during the winter, but yesterday was in the mid sixties and just lovely. I am so terrible at uploading pictures or I would share some. I haven't even posted any Christmas photos. My name is Jade and I am a slacker. That is step one. Admiting. Or, so I hear.

Anyprocrastinatingismyjam, here is my baked pork chop recipe. I made some yummy homemade mac and cheese tonight. It was delish beyond belief. I haven't uploaded those pics, obvs. So, this must suffice. By baking the pork chops, they come out very tender. Like fork cutting tender. Relatedly and unrelatedly at the same time, Tenderheart was always my favorite Carebear. Just putting that out there.

Baked Pork Chops

|| ingredients ||
4 center cut Pork Chops
1 tablespoon Butter
Water
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper
Cajun Spice (optional)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Put pork chops in a 9x13 baking dish. I used my Pampered Chef Rectangular Baker. Season tops with desired amount of salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and Cajun spice. Flip pork chops over. Pour enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. Lift up pork chops so that the water gets underneath. Season tops again with spices.

-Cut thin slices of butter and put on top of the pork chops. I used my garlic herb butter from the freezer. Yum.

-Bake in oven for an hour covered. Uncover and bake for another 10-15.

 

Honey Garlic Pork Goodness

Yesterday we got up early and got a ton of things done. Including the dreaded grocery store run. I don't mind the actual shopping part, just the making of the list, the carrying in of the groceries, then putting it all up. Why can't I just have a maid? Or a servant? Some people have all the luck.

Anydreamscancometrue, I wanted to try a new recipe and made this tasty dinner last night. The crunchy chops were juicy and the honey garlic sauce is a must. It is gooey, sweet, garlicky, and insanely yummy. I'm pretty sure I'll make it for other dishes.

Crunchy Chicken Fried Pork Chops with Honey Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:

6 center loin pork chops, well trimmed 

canola oil

1 cup flour

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp ground sage

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

2 eggs

4 tbsp water

2 tbsp olive oil

3 – 4 cloves minced garlic

1 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp ground black pepper

-Make an egg wash by whisking together the 2 eggs and 4 tbsp water.

-Mix 1 cup flour, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger,1 tbsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground thyme, 1 tsp ground sage, 1 tbsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to make the flour/spice mix. I used a sifter to get it super mixed.

-Season pork chops with pepper and salt, then dip the chops in the flour/spice mixture. Dip them into the egg wash and then once more time into the flour/spice mix, pressing the mix into the chop to get it good and covered. I used my Pampered Chef Coating Trays.

-Heat a skillet (I used my trusty cast iron) just under medium heat. Add about a half inch of canola oil to cover the bottom. After the oil gets hot, add the chops. Fry them for about 4 or 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. 

-Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan add 2 tbsp olive oil and 3 – 4 cloves minced garlic. Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic, but do not let it brown. Add 1 cup honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Simmer together for about 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully, because it tends to foam up over the pot very easily.

-After the chops are cooked, drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked chops into the Honey Garlic Sauce. Serve with noodles or rice. DE.VINE.