Rosemary-Orange Pork Chops

This dish is an oldie, but goodie! Sometimes I forget about certain recipes that both me and my husband really enjoy, then when flip through my cookbooks and find it, it almost becomes a new recipe all over again. There are very few pork chop recipes that I love. I find pork chops to be a tricky protein that can taste very bland or dried out depending on the recipe. The rosemary-orange sauce in this recipe compliments the pork so well. The red pepper flakes add just the right amount of spice, while the rosemary and orange brings out a sweet flavor. While fresh rosemary tastes better, I usually use dried rosemary simply because I always have it on hand.

Rosemary-Orange Pork Chops

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Zest and juice of 1 navel orange

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 cup chicken broth

2 springs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped (I used 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 1-inch thick center-cut pork loin chops

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

In a medium sauce pan over high heat, combine the orange zest and juice , brown sugar, chicken broth, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the extra-virgin olive oil. Season the chops with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet. Cook the chops for 5 minutes on each side.

Add the parsley to the reduced rosemary-orange glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooked pork chops. Toss to coat and transfer to a serving platter.

Source: 365: No Repeats by Rachel Ray, 2005