Maple Chipotle Glazed Pork

I don’t cook pork nearly enough.  I just don’t think about it for some reason.  Dear God, I am in a foodie rut!

Anyway, I found a package of center cut loin chops on clearance (love those meat clearances!) for 50% off the lowest price…The lowest price was $10.00 and there was 10 of them in the pack. SO, in the cart they went, nestled against a couple of pounds of burger and a roast.

I always liked the combinations in food and recently the thought of chipotle and maple have been calling to me;sweet,smoky and hot.  Honestly I want to try that with duck, but I had pork so pork it was.

I liked the results.  The chops were tender and juicy, and the flavors arrived in layers.  First the sweet, then the smoky, then the hot.  I served them with homemade dinner rolls, creamed corn, and broccoli.  Sort of a nice, retro-suburban dinner with a twist.

These are really easy.  For the best flavor, go ahead and glaze the chops in the morning and stick them in the fridge until time to cook for dinner.  The flavors will blend and mature and really get into the meat.  On the maple syrup, grade b is darker and has, I think, the most flavor.  Different syrup will give different results and overall the organic syrups are more flavorful…I am not sure why.  Also, I get chopped up dried chipotles so when I say a tablespoon it is of the chopped, dried chipotle NOT the powder.  If you can only find powdered chipotles then use a teaspoon, maybe.

In the summer this would be amazing on the grill.

Maple Glazed Chipotle Pork

• Center cut pork loin chops
• French gray salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grade B organic maple syrup
• Dried chipotle, about a tablespoon, more if desired
• A few drops of liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Mix the salt, pepper, syrup, chipotle, liquid smoke, and vinegar and whisk together.
2. Put the pork in an oven proof baking pan.
3. Cover with the glaze. Reserve any remaining glaze.
4. Cover with plastic wrap  and refrigerate until dinner.
5. Brush on the remainder of the glaze.
6. Preheat oven to 400F
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pork registers 160 degrees.

image:maryeaudet