Chipotle-Orange Pork Chops
15I have news for you. People who have food blogs get into food funks, too. At least this person does. It can be tough, sometimes, because you’re always wanting to post new, tasty things for your readers and it’s not always that easy. Thankfully, I had a couple of never-blogged pictures to get me through this week or two of food funkery.
I haven’t really been excited about planning meals, or looking forward to grocery shopping. I’ve been making a lot of staples and cooking with things I have in my fridge/freezer/pantry. The funny thing is a couple of the meals that came about due to my sheer laziness ended up being quite good and even blog-worthy–like this one.
A lot of people assume that because I love to cook and have a blog, I must spend way too much time in the kitchen, or use really bizarre ingredients or something. That’s so not the case. Sure, I’ll occasionally post something that may take a little more time to prepare, or has an ingredient that you may need to get at an ethnic or specialty food store. But, honestly? I work full time. I have no interest in spending all my time standing at the stove stirring things or spending time going to 3 stores to find ingredients. I like to make things that taste good with a few, simple ingredients. Do not let the pictures fool you, people! I can be QUITE sluggish in the kitchen.
To prove to you how lazy I am, one of the reasons I have all these chipotles sitting in my fridge is because I didn’t feel like individually freezing them. I hate packing up and freezing food, truly. Whenever I buy a bunch of meat at once, I really need to psych myself up to do all the individually wrapping/freezing/etc. I would rather think of new uses for chipotles in adobo before they expire than freeze them for a time when I know exactly how to use them. How sad is that?
But, you see, this idea for chipotles? It was a good one. I certainly don’t claim to be the first person to ever combine citrus and chipotles, but I had a few oranges sitting around so the idea popped into my head. Add the basis for 99% of my meals (that would be garlic), a splash of soy sauce, and you have a really simple and tasty marinade with a little sweetness, a little smokiness, a little spice.
Broiled Chipotle-Orange Pork Chops
Serves 2
1/3 cup orange juice (about 1 juiced orange)
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tsp. adobo sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pork chops
In a small food processor or blender, combine the first 4 ingredients. Process until fairly smooth. Place the pork chops in a shallow bowl and pour the juice mixture over them, rubbing it into the chops. Let them marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the broiler, and place the pork chops on a broiler-safe pan, reserving the marinade. Place the reserved marinade in a small sauce pan and boil over medium high heat until reduced by half. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper.
Broil the pork chops until slightly undercooked (about 3 minutes per side for a boneless chop this size, longer for bone-in or fatter chops). Brush the pork chops on one side with the reduced marinade. Broil an additional minute. Flip and repeat with the other side.
This looks great and the combo of orange and chipotle sounds wonderful!
This looks delicious! I love these flavors together.
Ooo these look great! I feel like I have been in a food funk recently too, although my poor little blog is suffering because of it! Your on the other hand, I never would have guessed 🙂
I think it is pork chop week on the blogs! This looks wonderful.
I was just contemplating a can of chipotles in the pantry that need to be used soon. Plus I have some leftover grilled pork steaks from tsiknopempti. I’m trying this with the leftovers – it looks like a great idea.
I love the combination of pork chops with the orange juice.
Yes we all get into the foodie trap every once in a while. Not all of the food we feature needs to be what we would consider heartstopping. You never know someone may just be inspired by that one post:D
I am the same way Elly. I mean I love to cook, don’t get me wrong – but I hate tons of cleanup and dishes, so I tend to make simple meals with whatever is around. I rarely plan stuff. I just get staples and play. I think those are the best meals – the ones created by laziness! 🙂
These are my favorite ingredients- perfect recipe! And since I’m horrible at pork chops, I’m happy to find a new one!
elly, I keep the chipotles in a tub after I open the tin. Something about them (the heat) just allows them to keep in the fridge long.
The chop looks kicka$$, slump, ya right…you still knock out tasty food.
I saw this on Foodgawker and made them tonight on the grill. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you liked them, Merrin!
That is a really tasty sounding sauce! I almost always have some chipotles in adobo in the fridge.
I made these chops this weekend and wrote about them here on my blog
http://tomatoesforapples.blogspot.com/2009/07/chipotle-orange-pork-chops.html
Thank you for the awesome recipe!
So glad you liked them, mrsblocko!