New Creation: Citrus Cilantro Chops

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for Orange Rosemary Chicken. I made it quite a few times and it became somewhat of a staple in my repertoire. Its deliciousness belied its simplicity and it consistently received rave reviews from the peanut gallery. The recipe basically called for oranges and marmalade and lots of fresh rosemary, boiled down until it became a thick, sticky sunset that would happily cover any breast of chicken.

I had all but forgotten about it until I ended up with a drawer full of Navels just waiting to be devoured. I also knew we had a bunch of cilantro leftover from the Valentine's Day breakfast my hunny made a few days earlier. (He claimed it was parsely, but I knew better, and thank goodness, because while parsley might be a-okay in eggs, they wouldn't have made the grade for the chops I were already tasting in my mind.) I had even remembered to take the pork chops out of the freezer that morning before running out the door to work. So everything was set in motion for my Citrus Cilantro Chops.

I decided to start the sauce with a base of onions and garlic, natch. I only had a 1/4 of a sweet onion at the house, so I figured that would have to do, though I would have preferred to use about twice as much. To that, I added three or four cloves of fresh garlic. I always like to add the onions first, allowing them a chance to sweat out some of their natural liquids. Plus, as an added bonus, they provide a nice resting place for the garlic, preventing it from burning or cooking too quickly. So into a hot pan with a combination of butter and olive oil go the onions, and then the garlic.

Now you might be thinking, butter AND olive oil? Why not just one or the other? Truth be told, I don't know that there's any specific reasoning behind it, apart from the fact that I prefer the flavor profile the combination yields over just one or the other.

Once the onions and garlic have cooked down a bit, it's time for the star of the show -- the oranges! I added two oranges, peeled -- making sure to get all that bitter pith off -- segmented and halved. Then, to balance out the sweetness, I juiced two lemons. I let that sit on the stove, covered, until the oranges broke down. Next came the marmalade, salt and pepper. That's it! I let it simmer until it formed a nice, thick sauce, about 20 minutes or so.

While the sauce was thickening, I prepared some boneless center-cut pork chops, seasoning them lightly with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. I think it's important to put a base flavor on the chops, even though it's going to be smothered with the citrus sauce. That way, every bite you take is thoroughly seasoned.

By the time the pork chops are finished cooking, the sauce should be nice and thick. All that's left to do is pour it over the chicken, add a bunch of chopped cilantro and you're ready to eat!

The best part about this recipe is that it tastes way more complicated and lengthy than it really is. It's pretty easy to throw together and doesn't require a barrage of ingredients. I also always love a combination of fruit and pork. I served with it some garlic-roasted yellow squash -- another easy staple in my kitchen -- and rice. It was definitely  a memorable meal.