Table Talk
Southwest Pork Chops with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce
Do you remember the pork chops of your childhood? Dry. Tough. Tasteless. Did I say Dry? Barely edible? My husband has long held a special place in his heart for pork, in particular, pork chops. My early impressions of pork chops colored my view of pork in general, and weren't helped by over sauced-overly sweet ribs or too salty ham. Over the years, I have gained a huge appreciation and love for good pork but my opinion of pork chops has remained the same. I still encountered dry, tough meat. That is, until I discovered brining. I don't know why it took me so long to adopt this method of dealing with meat that tends toward ending up tough and dry ( I have a similar objection to chicken breasts). But I finally am a believer. I recently bought some bone-in pork sirloin chops that were maybe an inch thick. I brined them in a mixture of salt, sugar, herbs and spices for about an hour, rinsed and dried them, and then followed this recipe for a southwestern pork chop that was sprinkled with a rub and served with a spicy pumpkin sauce. The pork chops were flavorful and juicy. We had them again a couple of days later, this time as leftovers, sans sauce. They were still terrific. I served them with parsley potatoes.
Southwest Pork Chops with Spicy Pumpkin Sauce
For the Sauce:
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 Chipotle Chile in Adobo Sauce
8 Ounce Salsa
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
4 Boneless Pork Chops, 1-inch thick
1/2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Medium Plum Tomatoes, diced
2 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1. In medium saucepan combine pumpkin, chipotle, salsa, cheese and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture almost boils. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In small bowl stir together brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper; sprinkle evenly over pork chops. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops; cook 8-10 minutes, until nicely browned on both sides.
3. To serve spoon about 1/3 cup pumpkin mixture over bottom of four plates; top with pork chops. Garnish with tomatoes and cilantro.
