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Green Rice, Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops, and a GIVEAWAY

posted in mexican/tex-mex on Dec 06, 2013
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You guys know how much I love southwestern, Mexican and Tex-Mex food, right? So, cooking from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi, a fellow blogger who runs the fabulous site Scarletta Bakes, was a no brainer.

The book is packed full of awesome-sounding dishes, and the two we decided to try first were great. I’ve already picked out the third (sweet potato and bacon sopes, for the record).

Both the pork chops and rice were easy to make and packed with flavor. If you know me at all you know of my poblano obsession, so it’s no surprise that I especially loved the rice. Although it takes a bit of time to make, I see no reason why you couldn’t roast the vegetables and make the paste ahead of time, and then just cook the rice with the mixture later on.

The pork chops are intended to be grilled but the night I made this it was 13 degrees so we opted for the much-warmer-and-not frost-covered-indoor broiler. They still turned out great. My local spice store carries both mild and spicy New Mexico chili powder and I went with the spicy version.

You’ll have to excuse the pictures.  Seven years blogging and I still have no idea how to photograph in non-natural light, sooooo…. 🙂

Zachary deemed this a “favorite meal” and also said, “Thanks, mom, for making such a yummy meal.” So, there you go, a 3 year old’s seal of approval (which, by the way, are both the most important and most difficult to come by).

Want to win your own copy of Meagan’s The New Southwest? Here’s your chance! Enter to win below. Giveaway ends Thursday, December 12th, and 11:59PM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: A copy of The New Southwest was provided to me for review, and will also be provided for the winning reader. All ideas expressed in this post are my own (and my son’s :))

Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops

Adapted from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi

2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. ground New Mexico red chiles
1.5 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground white or black pepper
1 tsp firmly packed brown sugar
4 bone-in pork chops, about 1″ thick

Mix together the first 7 ingredients (through brown sugar). Apply the rub firmly and generously to both sides of the pork chops, pressing to adhere. Refrigerate the chops until about 20-30 minutes before grilling; then, remove them and allow them to come to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat a grill or broiler to medium heat. If grilling, place the chops on the hottest grates and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Then move them to indirect heat, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes. If broiling, cook the pork chops for about 5 minutes per side about 4-6″ from the flame. Alternatively, you can sear the pork chops in a pan with a little oil and finish them off in a hot oven or broiler.

Let the pork chops rest for a few minutes before serving.

Arroz Verde

Adapted from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi

3 large shallots, peeled and ends removed
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 poblano chiles
6 stems parsley
3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 cups medium-grain rice
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth or stock

Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the shallots and garlic with 1 tablespoon of the oil and a pinch of salt. Wrap tightly in foil and roast for about 50 minutes or until shallots are shrunken and garlic is soft and fragrant.

Meanwhile, place the poblano chiles directly over the flame of a gas burner (if you don’t have one, poblanos can be broiled), charring all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with a clean towel. Once cool enough to handle, remove the peel, core and seeds. Chop coarsely.

When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their papers and into a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the shallots, poblanos, parsley, and lime juice and process to a uniform paste.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoonds of oil over medium heat. Add the rice and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until grains are opaque. Addt the processed chile mixture and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring. Stir in the stock, season to taste with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until stock has been absorbed and rice is tender.

Green Rice, Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops, and a GIVEAWAY

54 thoughts on “Green Rice, Chile-Rubbed Pork Chops, and a GIVEAWAY”

  1. As I am reading your post, I am in the process of making Chicken Enchiladas. We really really like Tex-Mex and Mexican food, and can’t get enough of it! I would love to win this cookbook, and then try everything in it!!!

    Reply

  3. This looks great! We always have Tex-Mex or Mexican food on Friday. I’d love to add some new recipes to the rotation!

    Reply

  7. This sounds great! I think my favorite southwestern dish is a roasted corn and poblano enchilada I had at a restaurant ages ago. I love corn in general, and anything you put that in will make me happy!

    Reply

  11. I love her recipes. Now that I live in North Texas, this book would be a great way to keep hold of some of the Arizona recipes I loved, like tamales and posole.

    Reply

  16. I just bought a huge pack of pork chops so these are going on the menu for next week–they look great!

    As far as my favorite southwestern ingredients, I’d have to say poblanos. I really don’t like spicy food so I avoided them for many years but I have begun to really like the roasted poblano flavor recently.

    Reply

  20. My favorite Tex/Mex dish is chicken fajitas. Very simple but it’s what I get almost every time we eat Mexican. When I lived in TX for a few years, breakfast tacos (potato and egg) were pretty good too…

    Reply

  31. I have The New Southwest and LOVE it!! Everything Meagan makes is super creative. I definitely want to try that green rice in the near future!

    Reply

  32. The pork chops look delicious. Using an easy and flavorful rub is definitely my favorite way to prepare. Can’t wait to try these.

    Reply

  39. Huevos con Chorizo or Chilaquiles – those might be Mexican, but I’ve eaten delicious versions of both in the Southwest!

    Reply

  45. Just made stuffed poblano peppers the other night, also have been making fish tacos a lot. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  48. Cumin is my #1 favorite flavor. I really like posole and green chili and a good pork/chili stew. My biggest problem when eating at a Southwest restaurant is deciding on one thing to eat….it all looks good! Oh no, I almost forgot beans! I love pinto beans.

    Reply

  50. I love avocado. And enchiladas/burritos with lots of smoky, grilled veggies. And fish tacos. Darn, it’s 8 am and now I’m hungry.

    Reply

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