Deviled Pork Chops w/Simple Spinach Salad
May 23rd, 2009 | View Comments
Active prep: 10 mins
Cook time: < 15 mins
Serves: 4
My husband absconded with this plate the second I previewed the shot and declared it was probably in focus. This is the third time in a row this has happened.
I forgot to take pictures of the prep on this one. But there is so little prep anyways! It’s the kind of mindless, yet delicious cooking I love. If you love it too, I highly recommend a subscription to Fine Cooking, which is where this recipe comes from (again). Every issue contains a section of recipes for fast weeknight meals.
The original recipe calls for fresh parsley, but I sprinkled on a little dried basil instead and it worked just fine.
Deviled Pork Chops
Adapted from Fine Cooking March 2007
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1 T. packed brown sugar
2 t. lemon juice
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
4 1-inch-thick, bone-in, center-cut loin pork chops
Kosher salt
Dried basil
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper.
Place an oven rack 3-4 inches from the broiler. Turn broiler on (if your broiler has settings, which mine doesn’t, set it to high).
Season pork with salt on both sides. Arrange pork chops on the broiler pan. Brush half the mustard mixture over the top of the pork chops. Broil for 6-8 mins or until deeply browned in spots.
Turn the pork chops over and brush with the remaining mustard mixture. Broil for an additional 5 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chop reads 145 degrees.
Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Sprinkle with dried basil before serving.
The spinach salad and vinaigrette I served are my own basic versions of tried-and-true recipes. You should toast the nuts before setting the broiler, but the rest can easily be prepped while the pork chops broil. Make sure to adjust the ingredient amounts to taste. I generally don’t measure ingredients when I’m just throwing something together off the top of my head and so they may be slightly off.
Simple Spinach Salad
1 5-oz. package baby spinach
1 6-oz. container crumbled feta cheese
9 oz. whole pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes — if you smell them, take them out!
Toss everything together in a bowl. Done.
Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 T. Dijon mustard
3 T. balsamic vinegar
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
A sprinkling of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine mustard, vinegar, and spices together in a bowl. While whisking continuously (a fork works just fine), drizzle in the olive oil. Done.
Variations: Add crumbled bacon and/or chopped hard-boiled eggs to the salad. Walnuts would also be good if you don’t have pecans.
Some finely chopped shallot or red onion would be a good addition to the dressing. In which case you might want to use less (or no) mustard. I often throw in herbs too (fresh or dried), but I was feeling lazy today. For me, the key to making an edible salad dressing is to taste often. If it’s too tangy, add more olive oil. If it feels too greasy, more vinegar.
It also occurred to me that this might be a good low-carb meal. We are not low-carbers so I’m not terribly familiar with the specific restrictions of each diet, but this meal is noticeably devoid of, y’know, bread, rice, and pasta.
Yvonne posted this on May 23rd, 2009 @ 4:19pm in Low Carb, Pork, Quick Meals | Permalink to "Deviled Pork Chops w/Simple Spinach Salad"
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Likes to cook, eat, grow herbs, and collect kitchen gear in Houston, TX. 
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