Pork It's What's For Dinner (Recipe, Pics, Review)

I don't know about you, but I LOVE pork.  Any of it.  All of it.  I think it's my favorite kind of meat.  And I like it in very specific ways.  I'm picky, and so is my family.  So it was a little scary when I went outside our comfort zone and made pork in a whole new way (for us, at least).  Usually I use Shake N Bake pork chops, or if I feel like making a really big mess I use eggs, flour, fry on each side and then bake.  Haven't done that in a while, though.  It is VERY messy and takes a long time.  Tonight's dinner was easy, no fuss no muss.  That's the way I like it!  I made Apple Mustard Glazed Pork Chops.  How does that sound?  I've always heard that apples go well with pork, but I've never tried it.  So tonight was a first for us.  Here's what you need:

1 lb Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops 3/4" thick (trim fat if there's a lot)
Pepper
1 tsp Canola Oil
1/4 C Apple Juice
2 Tbsp Apple Jelly
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

My regular grocery store (Fry's) didn't carry any apple jelly.  I found a jar, though, at Super Wal-Mart for just $1.50.  I'm sure healthy food stores would carry it, too.

Here's what you do to make the chops:

1.  Season with a little pepper.  Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat and brown chops on one side.
2.  Mix juice, jelly and mustard in a little dish.  I used a fork to mash up the jelly to get it mixed together well.
3.  Turn chops.  Add juice/jelly/mustard mixture to skillet.

4.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes.  To check doneness, cut into the middle of the thickest chop and make sure it's cooked through before removing from heat.

That's it!!!  One little dish and one pan!  wooo hooo!  I was very nervous to serve this to my family since they are not used to the flavors.  But my kids came through for me.  They loved it!  Matthew had a 2nd piece, and Sara went and got extra pan sauce for hers.  My husband, Jeff, ate his up pretty quickly.  It was a success!  Yea!  It was even easier and less messy than Shake N Bake.  I love easy and no mess.

Here are the nutritional values for 1/4th of recipe (4 oz piece of meat and 1/4 of pan sauce):  300 calories, 5.8g fat, 4.1g saturated fat, 2.2g polyunsaturated fat, 84mg cholesterol, 418mg sodium, 490mg potassium, 8.4g carb, 32g protein.  (5 Points Plus) It's a little high in calories, but definitely worth it.  The carb count and grams of protein are phenomenal, though.

So go ahead and try something new....Apple Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops is a good place to start!  If you'd like to leave a comment, please do.  You can always reach me, too, at happyfairylove@live.com.

UPDATE:  I made 8 pork chops, and after everyone ate, there was just one left.  Matthew, my 12 year old, came in about 2 hours after dinner and asked me if he could have another dinner.  So, he ate the last one.  Jeff had I think 3 chops himself.  I wanted more, but I stuck to 1 serving like a good girl.  Jeff said numerous times throughout the evening how good the chops were.  Point is, the family REALLY loved these chops.  I hope yours does too!

Eat Happy!
Lisa
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