Glazed Pork Chops

While at the farm market yesterday, I browsed the cooler section and found some locally sourced pork chops. How Local? I drive by the farm to get coffee in the mornings.

I won’t go off on a tangent about corporate mass farms or the shipping of carcasses from the US to China for processing and then shipping them back for sale in various mega-mart chain stores. It is WHY I am so picky about my raw ingredients. (Just beware: any meat you buy in a pressurized package is under inert gas to prevent browning from age.)

I choked at the price of the chops, but again, this is a weekend splurge meal. We won’t do this every night, and the difference in taste is astounding.

As this is Labor Day, I suppose I should grill these, but my grill is in use. (I’ve been grilling a chicken for several hours. He still won’t tell me why he crossed the road.) As such, we’ll roast these off in the oven as the temps are cool enough to allow this.

One item of note is my use of raw or turbinado sugar; these are raw sugars that have been minimally processed, and the less processed, the better. Brown sugar (light or dark) is made from white refined sugar crystals mixed with molasses; the amount of molasses in brown sugar determines its color.

Of course, I’ll also take some fresh, locally-produced dairy butter. (I had better be on these people’s Christmas card list)

I’ll serve these with stuffing, a roasted beet salad, and maybe a glass of white wine on the side.

Cooking, as per the USDA:

The safe internal pork cooking temperature for fresh cuts is 145° F. To check doneness properly, use a digital cooking thermometer. Fresh cut muscle meats such as pork chops, pork roasts, pork loin, and tenderloin should measure 145° F, ensuring the maximum amount of flavor.

As per Wikipedia:

A pork chop, like other meat chops, is a loin cut taken perpendicular to the spine of the pig and is usually a rib or part of a vertebra. Pork chops are unprocessed and leaner than other cuts. Chops are commonly served as an individual portion, and can be accompanied with applesauce, vegetables, and other sides. Pork is one of the most commonly consumed meats in the world. In the United States, pork chops are the most commonly consumed meat cut from the pork loin and account for 10% of total pork consumption.

The center cut or pork loin chop includes a large T-shaped bone and is structurally similar to the beef T-bone steak. Rib chops come from the rib portion of the loin, and are similar to rib eye steaks. Blade or shoulder chops come from the spine and tend to contain much connective tissue. The sirloin chop is taken from the (rear) leg end and also contains much connective tissue. The shoulder end produces chops that are considerably fattier than the chops taken from the loin end.

Easy Glazed Pork Chops

Brown sugar, butter, and Worcestershire form a delecious glaze

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Global

Servings 4 people

Calories 159 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 ea Pork Chops Center Cut, ~ 1" thick
• 4 tbsp Brown Sugar Raw Sugar is better
• 4 tbps Butter cut to 4 pats
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce Low Sodium

Instructions

 

• Set your oven to preheat to 350F.
• In a large oiled baking pan, lay your pork chops.
• Add one tbsp of brown sugar on each piece of meat.
• Add a square tbsp of butter on each pork chop as well.
• drizzle both the soy and Worcestershire sauce over.
• Using tinfoil, cover the pork chops and bake for 40 mins in the oven.
• After 40 minutes is up, remove the tinfoil and continue to bake for 20 minutes.
• Rest and serve with stuffing or potatoes and a salad

Notes

Notes on sugar:

Raw sugar

Made from evaporated cane juice, raw sugar retains some of its natural molasses content and undergoes minimal chemical processing.

 

Brown sugar

Made from white refined sugar crystals mixed with molasses, the amount of molasses in brown sugar determines its color. Brown sugar has trace amounts of minerals, but you would need to eat much more sugar than is recommended to get enough to benefit you.

 

AKA: Raw sugar is healthier than all other processed sugar, including brown sugar. Since it does not undergo several chemical treatments, it retains its natural properties and traces of minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and iron.

 

Cooking:

 

Baking pork chops at 350 degrees F will result in more gently cooked and tender pork chops, which will take longer. This temperature is ideal for thicker chops (between 1 and 2 inches) and pan-seared chops since the lower, slower baking ensures the pork cooks through.

Baking pork chops at 400 degrees F will result in a slightly crisper, more caramelized exterior. This temperature is ideal for breaded pork chops because it crisps up the crumbs and completes sheet-pan meals, and it is also the best temperature for roasting most vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 405mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 373IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.4mg

Keyword Glaze, Pork, Pork Chop

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