Crispy Italian Pork Chops

Makes 4 servings, 1 pork chop each

• 4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2″ thick (6 oz each)
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing, divided
• 1 pouch Italian seasoned coating mix for chicken or pork
• 4 cups arugula
• 1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 8 lemon wedges

1. Pound each pork chop with meat mallet, rolling pin or side of a can to 1/4″ thickness.  Place chops in large resealable plastic bag.  Add 1/4 cup of the dressing; seal bag.  Shake gently to coat chops evenly with dressing.  Refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.  Drain chops; discard marinade. 
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Coat chops with coating mix as directed on  package; discard any remaining coating mix.  Place chops in 15x10x1″ baking pan.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.  Toss arugula with remaining 1/4 cup dressing; arrange on serving platter.  Top with chops; sprinkle with tomato and onion.  Serve with lemon wedges.

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Zesty Pork Chops and Grilled Vegetables

Makes 4 servings

• 4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2″ thick (1 1/4 lb)
• 1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 red peppers, cut lengthwise into wedges
• 2 zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/4″ thick slices

1. Preheat grill to medium heat.  Pierce both sides of chops several times with fork; place in shallow dish.  Combine dressing and mustard.  Pour half of the dressing mixture over the chops; cover dish. 
2. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes to marinate.  Set remaining dressing mixture aside for later use.  Remove chops from marinade; discard marinade. 
3. Grill chops and vegetables 7-8 minutes on each side until chops are cooked through (160°F) and vegetables are crisp-tender, brushing occasionally with the reserved mixture. 

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Southern Surf & Turf

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 center-cut pork chops (1/2 lb each)
• 8 oz jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shells
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, for frying

1. Combine olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, whole grain Dijon mustard, thyme leaves and salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Pour mixture over pork and marinate at least one hour. 
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F and heat the grill.  Place crabmeat in a bowl and gently pat with paper towel to remove excess moisture.  Shred about half of the lumps with your fingers, leaving the rest whole.  Combine the mustards, mayonnaise, egg, cayenne pepper, Old Bay and scallions in a small bowl. 
3. Tear the bread into very small pieces and add to mixture.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Stir, mashing bread with a fork until smooth. 
4. Add bread mixture to crab mixture and gently fold until both are evenly distributed.  Divide the crab into four equal piles in the bowl.
5. Roll each into a ball, then flatten into a cake about 1″ thick.  Heat a medium sauté pan with an ovenproof handle over medium-high heat.  Add butter and sauté until cakes are golden, 2-3 minutes a side. 
6. Transfer pan ot the oven and bake 10 minutes, until heated through. 
7. Remove pork from marinade, season with salt and pepper, and grill 5-7 minutes per side.  Arrange on plates with crab cakes. 

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Summer Pork Chops with Corn-Mango Salsa

Makes 6 servings

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp blackened steak seasoning
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 6 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1″ thick
• Corn-Mango Salsa (recipe follows)
• steamed green and yellow beans (optional)

1. For marinade, in a resealable plastic bag, combine oil, steak seasoning, and garlic powder; mix well.  Add onion; mix well.  Add chops; seal bag and turn to coat chops.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight. 
2. Drain chops; discard marinade.  For a charcoal grill, grill chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for 14-18 minutes or until done (160°F), turning once halfway through grilling.  For a gas grill, preheat grill.  Reduce heat to medium.  Place chops on grill rack over heat.  Cover; grill as above.  Serve chops with Corn-Mango salsa and, if desired, green and yellow beans. 

Corn-Mango Salsa:

• 2 ears fresh sweet corn
• olive oil
• 1 medium mango, seeded, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red sweet peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp snipped fresh mint
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Husk corn and brush with olive oil, coating all sides.  Grill corn on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat until kernels are tender and just begin to brown, turning often. 
2. Remove from grill; cool.  Cut kernels from ears.  In a bowl, combine corn kernels, mango, red sweet pepper, sweet onion, lemon juice, cooking oil, fresh mint, fresh cilantro and salt.  Toss gently to mix. 

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Smokin’ Succulent Grilled Pork

Serves 4

• 1 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper
• 8 pork chops

1.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except pork chops.  Reserve 1/4 cup may mixture. 
2. Grill or broil chops, turning once and brushing frequently with remaining mayo mixture, until chops are done.  Serve with reserved mayo mixture. 

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Pork with Roasted Peppers & Potatoes

Serves 4

• 4 boneless pork chops, 1/2″ thick
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 medium red potatoes, cut up
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers

1. Season chops with black pepper. 
2. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chops and cook 10 minutes until well browned.  Remove chops. 
3. Add potatoes, onion and oregano.  Cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add chops, broth and peppers.  Heat to a boil.  Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until done. 

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Smothered Pork Chops

Serves 6

•  2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 6 pork chops, 1/2″ thick
• 1 medium onion, sliced

1. Mix cornstarch, broth and pepper. 
2. Spray skillet with vegetable cooking spray and heat 1 minute.  Add chops and cook until browned.  Remove chops.  Remove skillet from heat. 
3. Spray skillet with cooking spray.  Add onion and cook until tender-crisp. 
4. Add cornstarch mixture.  Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring.  Return chops to skillet.  Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until done. 

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Rosemary-Garlic Pork Chops

Makes 4 servings

• 4 (6-8 oz each) boneless center-cut pork loin chops (1 1/2 inches thick)
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook 4 minutes per side.  Reduce heat to medium; add butter, rosemary and garlic.  Cook, turning pork occasionally, 2-3 minutes, or until instant-read thermometer inserted in each chop registers 155°F.  Remove skillet from the heat.  Cover loosely with foil; let stand 5 minutes.  Spoon pan drippings over pork chops. 

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Stuffed Pork Chops

Makes 8 servings

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 oz mustard greens, stems removed, leaves torn into small pices
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, finely diced
• 1 cup finely diced cornbread (from purchased cornbread, corn muffin or toaster corncake)
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 boneless pork loin chops (6 oz each) 1 1/4 inches thick
• 1/2 tsp each salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Cook bacon slowly in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over low heat, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towel to drain.  Discard all but 1 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings from skillet.
2. Add shallots and garlic to drippings; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, or until fragrant.  Add greens; cover pan and cook 7-9 minutes, stirring twice, until greens are tender.  Cool completely.  Stir in cheddar, cornbread, Parmesan, and bacon.
3. Place pork chops on a flat surface; with a sharp paring knife, make a 1 inch incision on meaty side of each chop.  Swipe the blade back and forth inside the chop to make a pocket all the way back to the fat side of the chop, without cutting through the chop.  Stuff each chop with a heaping 1/4 cup stuffing.  Wrap each chop tightly in plastic wrap and pack in a freezer container; free up to one month.
4. Thaw chops in refrigerator overnight.
5. Heat oven to 375°F.  Season chops with salt and pepper; secure openings with toothpicks when thawed.  Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet; add chops and cook 2 minutes per side, until browned.  Cover skillet and transfer to oven; bake 15 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove chops to a platter; cover with foil and let stand 5 minutes.  Remove toothpicks before serving.

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“Roast Pork” and Apple Dinner in a Pan

Makes 4 servings

• 4 pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• 1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
• 1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed chicken broth
• 1 broth can water
• 2 red apples, sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add chops; cook on medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until browned.
2. Add onion, mushrooms and dressing; cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in rice, broth, water, apples and thyme.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes or until heated through.

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