By The ISFA work continues — another kitchen table this week, another young family with numbers that might work. I sat across from a couple in Black Hawk County and laid out the grants and watched their faces change from fear to possibility, and the change is the thing I live for now.
I made pot roast with more carrots this week — the fall version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.
The garden winding down. Corn stalks brown and leaning. Last peppers picked before frost. Jack's garlic going in — the patience crop, planted now for next July. Nine months underground. The faith that the future needs what the present plants.
The pot roast gets the glory in October, but it’s not the only thing earning its keep on a cold Tuesday. After a week of sitting across kitchen tables watching other families find their footing, I wanted something bright to go alongside the heavy — a little citrus against the gray, the glaze catching the light the way the last peppers did before the frost took them. Kevin ate seconds of these too. He always does, and that’s all the review I need.
Pork Chops with Citrus Glaze
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Fresh thyme or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Sear. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear 4—5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 145°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- Build the glaze. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add orange juice, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, and orange zest. Whisk to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
- Reduce. Simmer the glaze 4—5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Finish with butter. Remove pan from heat and swirl in the tablespoon of butter until the glaze is glossy and smooth.
- Glaze and serve. Return the pork chops to the pan and spoon the glaze over each one. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh thyme or parsley if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 380mg