Pork chops tonight

Southern Living, Nov 2003 by Hurst, Andria Scott

Free this traditional favorite from the frying pan, and enjoy it with delicious new flavors that your entire family will love.

The next time you want to prepare pork chops, forget about frying. Stove-top cooking, grilling, and baking will all give great results. And no matter how you decide to prepare them, feel free to use either bone-in or boneless chops that are as thick or as thin as you like. Both kinds are versatile and very flavorful. You probably have the ingredients for these recipes on hand, so give a familiar cut of meat a tasty new attitude. ANDRIA SCOTT HURST

CIDER PORK CHOPS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 10 MIN., BAKE: 1 HR.

If you choose a thinner, less expensive chop, decrease the cooking time. Begin to check for doneness after 30 minutes.

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

4 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup apple cider

COMBINE flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a zip-top freezer bag; add pork chops. Seal and shake to coat. Remove chops.

MELT 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet; add chops, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned.

GREASE a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Place apple slices in bottom of dish; top with raisins, if desired, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Arrange chops over brown sugar, and drizzle with apple cider.

BAKE at 350° for 1 hour or until pork chops are done.

GRILLED ASIAN PORK CHOPS

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., CHILL: 4 HRS., GRILL: 8 MIN.

Boneless chops also work well in this recipe. If you splurge on thicker chops, you'll need to cook them a bit longer.

6 tablespoons soy sauce

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

6 (¼- to ½-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops

COMBINE first 5 ingredients in a large shallow dish or zip-top freezer bag; add pork chops. Cover or seal, and chill 4 hours.

REMOVE chops from marinade, discarding marinade.

GRILL chops, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 4 minutes on each side or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of meat registers 160°.

JUDY LEE

AUSTIN, TEXAS

ITALIAN PORK CHOPS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 40 MIN.

4 (6-ounce) center-cut pork chops

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

½ cup water

1 small onion, sliced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, sliced

BROWN chops in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and remove chops from skillet.

ADD tomato sauce, ½ cup water, and next 6 ingredients to skillet, stirring to combine. Return chops to skillet.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until chops are tender. NANCY RUSSELL

MORO, ARKANSAS