Ginger Pork Chops

This recipe is family tested and approved.

I had a lot of ginger beer that I didn’t really need, so I made a sauce! Chicken didn’t seem like the best choice of protein, so thick cut boneless pork loin was the perfect choice.

I’ll be completely honest. Many times my recipes come from what’s sitting around driving me crazy! It may be leftovers from a meal or another recipe in the works. This was one of those recipes. And it didn’t change very much from the original iteration.

This main dish is served with a melon, grape and orange fruit salad, dressed with sherry vinegar, dried basil, ground ginger, salt and pepper. The sauce, made from the fond in the pan, is spicy sweet and a bit salty, and is delicious over rice.

The recipe has more than a few components, and it’s worth the bit of effort to layer the flavors. The chops and sauce are two parts and then rice and fruit salad.

2 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick

The Rub

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

The Sauce

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced or grated

1/4 cup sliced scallion bottoms, save the tops!

1/2 cup sweet pepper rings, sliced

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Gluten Free Soy Sauce)

1 tablespoon Chili Garlic Paste

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1-2 tablespoons cooking oil

Blend the rub in a small bowl. Coat all sides of the chops with the rub. Place on a sheet pan with a cooling rack and refrigerate while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Blend the dry ingredients for the rub in a small bowl, don’t add the grated garlic and ginger. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add the oil. Sear the chops, sides first for two minute on each side. Adjust heat as needed. Sear the rest of the chops for three minutes per side; reduce the heat and cook for another two minutes per side. Remove to a clean pan with a cooling rack and place in the oven.

Ginger Pork Chop with Fruit Salad and Sherry Vinaigrette

Add the grated garlic and ginger to the pan, cook for about a minute. Add the dry ingredients Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and using a silicon spatula, stir and scrape constantly to deglaze the pan. Add the scallions and pepper rings, cook for one minute and add the ginger beer, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid. Meanwhile. combine the water and cornstarch in a cup and stir. After simmering the sauce, add two teaspoons of the cornstarch slurry, stir and add more until your desired consistency is reached.

Serve over brown rice and my fruit salad with sherry vinaigrette.