There’s only so many ways you can flavor a slab of meat, right? Wrong! There are that many, plus some more, and I’m pretty sure there’s a few somewhere in storage after we get through all those. Embrace the back-to-basics philosophy and serve up a flavorful hunk of protein with some easy veggie sides tonight. You’ll be glad you did!
First, of course, comes the honey. 1/4 cup of it, to be precise.
Then, 1 Tablespoon of orange juice. Can orange juice contain gluten? Why yes, yes it can. How sad is that? Minute Maid is one safe choice. [As always, the brands I use were GFCF at the time of posting, but manufacturers can change their formulas without notice. Always check your labels!]
Then add in one Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
And this trio of spices! 1/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder and thyme, and just a pinch of cayenne pepper.
And a half teaspoon of salt. Isn’t it interesting how the garlic powder spreads all over the surface and avoids the oil, while the thyme just sinks and sits there in a mound? I’m sure there’s an elementary school science project in there somewhere.
Ruin the aforementioned science project by vigorously stirring all the substances together, then marinate your pork chops in your sauce for anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on how your schedule works out. (Of course make sure to place the marinating bag back in the fridge while it sits–I’d be so sad if any of you died of trichinosis on my watch.)
When you’re ready, just dump the whole bag into your pan, extra marinade and all, and sautee them until they’re cooked through. You’ll need anywhere from 5-10 minutes per side, depending on how thick your pork chops are cut. My little digital meat thermometer is one of my favorite kitchen tools. No guessing, no cutting the meat to check… just stab it in, and when it reads 165 degrees, they’re perfectly done. If only all cooking were that easy.
And hey, by that time your marinade will have reduced to this awesome glaze. Man, I think I’m going to cook these again tomorrow night…
Happy Eating!
Honey Orange Pork Chops
2-4 pork chops
1/4 cup honey
1 TBS Minute Maid orange juice
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
I was reading an interview in the Philly paper, with Ree Drummond, of The Pioneer Woman Blog. Evidently she posts a lot of recipes (not GFCF) the same way you do. She was expressing how difficult, and time consuming, it is taking pictures as you cook/bake.
My point is, thanks for going the extra mile.
Made these tonight.. They were delicious..! And, I agree with Bruce (from 6 years ago, lol) and thank you for taking the time to post pics! I was never taught how to cook and greatly appreciate the step-by-step demonstration! Makes me a faithful user of this site vs. others! Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂