Chili Pork Chops with a Pepper-Lime Topping
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Our local produce store is my favorite place to stock up on veggies for the week. The only problem (if you can even call it that) is that they sell things in large quantities, but the prices are so great that I can't justify buying just one pepper at the market for the same price as a bag of 6 bell peppers. Buying from the produce store makes me focus on meal planning and using the veggies in several different ways throughout the week.
I had a red bell pepper and a few jalapenos to use up at the end of last week. I found inspiration in this recipe for Humming Pork Chops. I completely changed it, so my adaptation is below.
Ingredients
- 2 thick boneless pork chops
- Spices - chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 2 jalapenos, seeds and veins removed, sliced
- 1/2 sm white onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 c chicken broth
- Juice from 1/2 of a lime
- Optional: freshly chopped cilantro (I thought I had some but I didn't; I think it would have been a nice garnish at the end)
Directions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan, and preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Season chops with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. I don't measure... I used about 8 shakes of the cumin and chili powder per side, and just a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place chops into the hot saute pan; cook 3-4 min per side. My chops were thick so I also turned them on their sides to get a good sear all around. Transfer them to a baking dish and bake in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 150 (about 8-10 minutes).
- Add another tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add onions, peppers, and garlic; saute 4-5 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and stir, scraping up all of the brown bits.
- Add lime juice; bring to a simmer.
- Once the chops are done, add them to the pan and spoon some of the sauce over them.
I served these with rice and roasted broccoli. The sauce was so good - just the right amount of heat. Lime juice is a great way to brighten up flavors in a sauce, especially with the use of chili powder and cumin.
