Tangy Feta Pork Chops
Just like chicken, pork is quick and easy to make, so the challenge is adding variety to the flavors surrounding them. A lot of my chicken and pork recipes are interchangeable, like this one, because both proteins represent mild flavored bases. They can be smothered easily enough, or done in a skillet with a light sauce like these mustard cider chops.
Another easy way for me to make pork chops is to sear, make sauce, pour it on chops and bake for a bit. I call it SSPB – Sear Sauce Pour Bake. The prep is quick, and if forces beyond my control delay dinner, then letting them sit in a turned off oven after they are done cooking does no damage. I know such things NEVER happen to anybody else, but if it ever may happen to me, this is the type of dish I make. Things like traffic delaying dinenr participants, discovery of a new spider, a Minecraft world I just HAVE to see, or the wonders of a summer thunderstorm that must be observed from outside. Here is a recent SSPB using citrus to go along with the tang of the feta. Dinner indeed got delayed about twenty minutes because of an art project, so the delay factor was indeed tested on this one!
Tangy Feta Pork Chops
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 thin cut pork chops (with or without bone)
1 lemon, juiced with meat retained
1 lime, juiced with meat retained
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With kitchen scissors or a knife make a ½ inch slit in the curved edge of each pork chop, towards the center. Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper. Place three chops in a large pan over high heat, cooking until downward facing side is seared, about two minutes. Flip chops and repeat searing. Remove chops to 9×13 baking dish. Repeat searing with remaining three chops. Remove to baking dish. Turn heat to medium low. Add lemon and lime juice to pan, scraping brown bits from bottom. Add feta and cream. Stir until sauce is bubbly, about 3-4 minutes. Pour sauce over pork chops. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until pork is cooked through and juices run clear. Chops can be served immediately, or left in oven with heat turned off for about an hour to keep warm.