Slow Cooker Coconut Braised Pork

I’m often really inspired in the mornings while I’m still feeling productive, but when actual dinner time comes around I can’t really be bothered. Because of this, the slow cooker is my Saturday morning friend lately. Doing all the work in the morning and rolling up to an already cleaned kitchen at dinner time with food waiting for you is such a great feeling. For this skype date, Amanda and I did a free-for-all make anything you want night since we’ve been so busy. The aforementioned dinner time laziness, the pork taking up space in my freezer, and the laughably low number of ingredients let me to this recipe and it’s definitely going to be one on the rotation. Plus, the smells! The aroma of this dish, ya’ll. The most difficult part of this dish is that it makes you hungry all day long in anticipation as those aromas waft into the house! Definitely try this one out next time you’re feeling lazy and can’t be bothered to do a full grocery trip.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 2 1/2 cups coconut water
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• Fresh cilantro for garnish
• Sliced green onions for garnish
• Cooked White rice for serving

Instructions: 

1. Turn on your slow cooker to allow it to preheat (apparently this is a thing we’re supposed to be doing!) while you sear your pork.
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sear your pork cubes until browned on all sides. This is where a lot of the flavor comes from so definitely don’t skip this step. Caution on the side of too long of a sear to really lock in the flavor rather than too short of a sear.
3. Transfer your seared pork into the slow cooker and add the coconut water and fish sauce. Slow cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours if you don’t have all day.
4. Once cooked, you can serve the pork over rice and drizzle with the liquid in the slow cooker. Top with green onions and cilantro to your liking and enjoy!

Wine Pairing: The fish sauce is strong with this one and the pork, for having so little ingredients, is really rich. I’d go with a Pinot Grigio, which would also go with the cilantro nicely. 

Butternut Squash Steaks with Coconut Curry Sauce

You know how it goes every year. With a year loaded with overindulgent and treat-filled holidays on the back end, we all want to do a little bit better with our eating once January begins. Once New Year’s Day comes around, I’m usually feeling the effects of my bad food choices (even though they were so, so worth it at the time) and ready to get back on the healthy wagon. So, for this DistanceDishes session, Amanda and I decided to go for a healthy choice so as not to allow our skype dates to derail any progress we’d made but also so we didn’t feel like we were missing out on any deliciousness.

Cauliflower steaks are sooo 2018. Though I do enjoy a good cauliflower steak, I was much more excited at the idea of a butternut steak as the internet predicts as the next healthy craze. I adore butternut squash, and they’re currently in season and last forever untouched in the pantry. Though this recipe unfortunately required breaking down your own squash, that’s nothing that some gloves (if they bother your hands like me) and newly sharpened knives can’t help with (I was a little jealous of Amanda acquiring a cleaver for Christmas while I was preparing this recipe–that would have been handy here). Butchering a squash aside, this recipe is a real treat and has some nutrition as well. Definitely worth trying even as a side to something more sinful, or as a main event.

Ingredients:

• 1 Large butternut squash (preferably with a long, fat neck)
• Olive Oil
• 1-2 Tbsp Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Coconut Curry Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups full-fat Coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp Curry Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 Tsp Fresh squeezed Lime Juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
2. Peel your butternut squash, trim the ends and separate the bottom bulb-y part from the neck. You can Seed and dice the bottom portion for a future use.
3. Slice the neck long-ways into 1 inch thick slices and about 3-4 inches tall. I got about 3-4 “steaks” from a small squash but a bigger squash choice could yield 4-6.
4. Place your steaks on a wired rack on top of a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil on both side. Sprinkle evenly on both sides with Garam Masala, salt and pepper. Rub in so there is an even coating of oil/spices.
5. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the squash halfway through.
6. While the squash is cooking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add your coconut milk, curry powder, salt and pepper. Stirring regularly, bring to a simmer.
7. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes until reduced by 1/3 and thickened. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly and stir in the lime juice.
8. Once your steaks are done, transfer to a plate and cover with a decent spoonful of the sauce. Enjoy with other vegetables of your choice or a real steak, whatever you like!

Wine Pairing: Since you’re making such a light recipe, that means you can have an extra glass of wine, right? Just kidding (?) 🙂 If you do decide to have a glass, a Viognier or  you could go with a Pinot Noir if you prefer to go red. Antioxidants and what not, right? 

Bavarian Inspired Cheese Spread (Obatzda)

This week for our DistanceDishes date, Amanda and I had German foods on the mind with both of us recently attending local Oktoberfest celebrations in our respective states. While Amanda arrived in style with her spiffy new dirndl to an impressive Florida/German celebration, my experience was a little less…authentic. While the local brewery’s Oktobertfest event was wonderful in the beer selection department, the food was a bit lacking. This inspired me to have a little home-based Oktoberfest celebration of my own, complete with a few Bavarian-inspired munchies.

Full disclosure, I had never heard of Obatzda while in Germany (although food wasn’t really my thing past french fries when I was there) and this recipe is more “inspired” than authentic. Typically this cheese spread was a way to use up leftover Camembert or brie cheese, and the spices were added to change any “off” flavors into something else delightful. Now, I love me some brie, but it’s never quite the same the next day and I certainly don’t need to be eating a whole wedge in one sitting (can…but shouldn’t…). Since I had some leftover from a cheese plate, why not? An extra creamy cheese seems to sometimes be optional and is usually cream cheese. However, since I was introduced to Laughing Cow cheese while living in Germany, I thought it seemed appropriate (and it’s delicious in this). While it may not be the exact same being served in the tents over in Munich, this recipe is certainly going to be making more of an appearance in my home all year round.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz brie cheese, softened (rind and all)
• 1-2 tbsp butter, softened wedges
• 4 Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss cheese
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1-2 tbsp finely minced onion (depending on your desire for “bite”)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 2-3 tbsp German Beer (I used Hoegaarden)

Instructions: 

1. Allow the brie cheese to come to room temperature. In a small mixing bowl, mash  brie and butter with a fork, food processor or immersion blender until mostly mashed with minor lumps.
2. Add laughing cow, paprika, onion, salt, caraway, and beer and stir with a wooden spoon, your food processor/immersion blender to make sure everything is incorporated. If you would prefer your cheese spread to be a little more spread-y, feel free to add more beer if you prefer.
3. Return mixture to the fridge to allow flavors to mingle for at least 2 hours but overnight is even better.
4. Before serving, allow the cheese to come back to room temperature and serve with a nice slice of rye bread, pretzels or any other vehicle of your choosing. Enjoy!

Wine Pairing: You could finish the rest of that beer you opened to add to the cheese, but if you’re set on the wine route, I would say a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc might go well with the caraway and other biting flavors in the spread. 

 

Bread Boat Breakfast Bake

While Amanda and I were in Tampa running our very tiring Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon, we knew we would be exhausted and ready for a nice breakfast to enjoy in our pajamas before crashing for a mid-morning to afternoon nap recovery rest. I tend to get very specific in my food desired after a race, and with all the Gatorade and sugary gummy chews being consumed, I am ready to take a break from sugar by the end of the race, for a little while anyway. We also knew, because of that previously mentioned exhaustion, we didn’t want to work for this breakfast much. Enter: The Bread Boat Breakfast Bake.

This recipe is fairly similar to my Christmas Breakfast Casserole but with a wonderful carb substitution that makes this meal both beautifully presentable if you’re hosting a brunch and uniquely delicious (think: savory french toast). The beauty in this recipe, much like the casserole, is in its ability to be customized to your tastes and the fact that all the ingredients can be prepped ahead of time. You can easily assemble your bread boat, pop in the oven and then just as easily shower those 13.1 miles off while it cooks, or make a pitcher of mimosas for a brunch party and chillax. The first time we made this, we devoured the deliciousness before getting pictures, but I was so happy with the results I came home and made it again for the perfect weekend morning treat.

• 1 Loaf french bread
• 10 eggs
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 mini bell peppers, diced or 1/2 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage
• 3 green onions, sliced and greens and whites separated
• 1/2 cup gouda cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup velveeta cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Whisk together the 10 eggs, yogurt, salt and pepper and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Brown the pork sausage in a skillet over medium heat and allow to cool slightly (can also be made a day ahead).
4. With a serrated knife, carefully slice two lines vertically down your baguette about 1/4″-1/2″ from each long edge, do not break through the bottom of the bread crust, but get as close to the bottom as you dare.
5. Using your hands, remove the bread from in between your two cuts so that most of the bread inside the crust is gone but the thick crust is still intact. If you need to use your knife to assist in pulling out the bread middle, do so carefully. Place the baguette onto a baking sheet lined with foil or a silicon baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle in the sausage, onion whites,  bell pepper and the two cheeses into the cavity of the baguette in whichever order you would like, but make sure you at least have some cheese on top.
7. Slowly drizzle in your egg mixture over the bread cavity. This will require some time since you have so many ingredients so be patient. Make sure the egg soaks into the ingredients before adding more egg to avoid overflow. Once you think the bread can take no more egg, step away for a few minutes to allow it to soak into the bread. Then you should be able to add the rest.
8. Once the baguette is full to the brim of eggs and other delicious things, sprinkle the onion greens on top and additional cheese if you would like.
9. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the center of the egg mixture has set. If your bread starts getting too brown, you can cover it with foil.
10. Once fully cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Wine Pairing: I mean you know my go-to for breakfast foods is a mimosa by this point, but I just had a sparkling Rose the other day around brunch-time and can’t help but think how nice these two would go together.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken Dinner

I’ve had a whirlwind couple of weeks! Between having the pleasure of visiting Amanda in Tampa (and running a very humid half marathon together), road tripping to Iowa on another adventure and driving to and from the St. Louis airport a few times in the last few weeks I was beat. Plus, somehow while I was away, my oven heating coil suspiciously decided to snap–the maintenance men said “it happens” but I still have my doubts what happened :). So, when Amanda and I were brainstorming themes for this week’s skype date, we were all about that low effort deliciousness. I’ve written about the benefits of using the slow cooker in the summer, but really the slow cooker is great all year round for so many reasons. Between my strong desire to be lazy on the day or our date and the fact my oven was out of commission, this slow cooker meal was just what I needed.

I decided to do a whole chicken and vegetables for this meal, and while Amanda has done a traditionally cooked whole chicken dinner here before, I decided to mix up the spices a bit so that I could repurpose the leftovers into something delicious the following night. I even saved the bones so that I could make chicken stock, as Amanda demonstrated previously. The flavors are light and remind me of a warmer season, which makes this a nice choice for both the summer and winter. Plus, if you ever make this chicken for a dinner party, they’d never know how little prep and effort this really takes!

Ingredients: 

Spice Blend:

• 1 tbsp za’atar seasoning
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp salt

Other Ingredients: 

• 1 whole chicken, giblets and neck removed if applicable
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• vegetables of your choice to line the bottom of the slow cooker (I used 2 potatoes, 2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots, and 1 zucchini)
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• 2-3 stalks of thyme
• 1/2 bulb of garlic (ish)

Instructions:

1. Mix together the above spices listed (from za’atar to oregano) and the salt.
2. Chop your vegetables into large chunks (since it will be cooking for a long time, you don’t want them to be so small they fall apart), and add them to the bottom of your slow cooker.
3. Miz your softened butter with your blended spices to form a butter paste. Spread generously over your chicken and try to get some under the skin on the breasts and legs if possible.
4. Stuff 1 quarter of your lemon (add the rest to your vegetable layer in your slow cooker),  at least 5 garlic cloves and a quarter to half of an onion (whatever you can fit) into the cavity of your chicken. If you have garlic leftover, sprinkle amongst your veggies.
5. Place the chicken on top of your veggies, cover with your lid and cook on low for 8 hours. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165°F at the end of the time period, and return to the cooker for additional time if needed.
6. Optional: If you would like crispy skin on your bird, move your chicken to a baking sheet and broil in the oven on normal setting for 2-5 minutes depending on the strength of your broiler (keep an eye on it! Mine goes from perfect to charred mess in about 2 seconds).
7. Carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and carve, and enjoy with your cooked vegetables as well. You can shred any remaining chicken for a variety of recipes. This one fed me for a few more meals so stay tuned for how I repurposed my leftovers!

Wine Pairing: Since this one is light with a hint of lemon, I think a perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio would be a nice light pairing to go with these yummy flavors. 

Pork, Apple & Brussels Sprout Hash

While Amanda and I both enjoy going all out for these posts, sometimes we just don’t have the time. We generally cook and skype to discuss our meals on the weekend so we have all day to putter around in the kitchen. Not this time. For this meal, we wanted to make something quick and seasonal that we might actually bother to make on a weeknight when we’re just trying to have a nutritous dinner after a long day. I’ve made this dish a few times on weeknights and it always satisfies. It’s also a great winter dish with apples and brussels sprouts being in season. Plus, if you cook the eggs directly in the pan instead of as topped with it as pictured, it ends up being a one pan meal. I don’t know about you, but on a weeknight I am all about less dishes (well, on all nights really).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded brussels sprouts
• 2 small red potatoes, shredded or cubed to make about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 small or 1 large granny smith apple, shredded or diced (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 6 eggs
• Dried Italian herbs if desired

Instructions:

1. Place the cubed pork tenderloin in a medium-sized bowl and add a teaspoon of salt, teaspoon of pepper, the white wine, apple sauce, thyme, rosemary and and a sprinkle of any other italian herbs that strike your fancy. Toss to combine.
2. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or cover and marinate in the fridge up to 24 hours.
3. When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil and add the pork. Cook until all sides are brown and meat is mostly cooked through.
4. Transfer the pork from the skillet to a plate to await being added later.
5. Add the shallot and garlic to the skillet and cook until the shallot becomes translucent–about 3-4 minutes and be careful not to burn the garlic.
6. Add the shredded potatoes and a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are starting to soften slightly. Then add your brussel sprouts and apple.
7. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, then reincorporate your pork. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. At this point, you can serve as is or add an egg.
8. To add eggs, you have two options: you can fry them up separately in another pan to your liking (I do this when I suspect I’ll have leftovers so I can top with a fresh egg later) or you can cook in the same pan. To do the second option, make 4-6 divets in the hash mixture and crack an egg in each hole. Cover with a lid, and turn the heat to low. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the eggs have a white film over them and are no longer too jiggly.
9. Scoop onto a plate and enjoy!

Wine Pairing: Well, you have some of that white wine leftover right? No? A Chardonnay’s butteriness might be a nice match with the tartness of the apple flavor. 

Pumpkin Spiced Granola with Chocolate

This is the time of year that is both incredibly cheerful and magical with the twinkling lights on all the houses and sweet aromas filling our kitchens, it can also be incredibly stressful as we all rush to make a dish for the office potluck we forgot or shop til we drop for the perfect gift for all our loved ones. While we know there are so many people in our life we want to show that we appreciate, some can slip through the cracks until it’s too late. With Christmas inching closer, Amanda and I wanted to share our answers to some homemade tokens of friendship to give to someone in your life even if that person is yourself (hey, it’s yummy ok?). Plus, with everything else we have to worry about this season, we definitely didn’t want you to have to log any extra kitchen hours then you already are. Granola was my low effort, but still glamorous was my answer to this challenge.

Granola is something that is widely enjoyed but people don’t tend to have it that often or bother with making it themselves. With the pumpkin and wintery spices, it is the perfect festive treat that dresses up nicely in a jar and a ribbon. The ingredients are fairly inexpensive as well so it won’t break the bank, and it’s a nice change of pace from all the Christmas cookies going around (although I love those as well). This granola goes so well topped on a bowl of plain yogurt, which might be a nice switch after all those family slightly heavier family breakfasts that seem to go with the season, or it can be enjoyed as a little sweet snack after dinner. It keeps for a while in the fridge as well so it’s something that can be enjoyed long after the season ends.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Combine the oats and almonds in a large mixing bowl.
3. On the stove over low heat, combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, spices and salt and stir until everything is warm and well mixed.
4. Remove the pumpkin mixture from the heat and pour over your oats. Stir the oats with a wooden spoon until the pumpkin mixture is fully combined.
5. Spread the oat mixture over a lined baking sheet as flatly and evenly as you can.
6. Pop the baking sheet in your oven and cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. This will ensure that the granola doesn’t burn.
7. After baking, allow the granola to cool fully and then stir in your chocolate chips. You may then transfer to an airtight container and your granola will keep in the fridge for up to two months.

Pao de Queijo aka Brazilian Cheesy Bread

Between the summer festivities in August, the upcoming Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World this fall (more on that later) and my own visits to a Brazilian steakhouse this summer, Amanda and I have been in a Brazilian state of mind for sure. While Brazil has a lot of traditional and interesting dishes to offer, these delightful little cheesy puffs of deliciousness pretty much could not be skipped in our eyes. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of going to a Brazilian Steakhouse, these are usually on the table. While I usually try not to distract myself from the prize at any Churrascaria (aka the poles of meat floating around the restaurant ready to be sliced just for me and grabbed by my spiffy  meat tongs), these are not to be missed.

I read an amusing quote years ago somewhere in the caverns of the internet that went something to the effect of “I treat recipes like I treat science fiction novels. When I finish reading one, I think ‘Well, that’s never going to happen!’.” This is generally my thought when I read any recipe with special ingredients  that I’d have to take a special trip to the grocery store to locate and then to find out it was never stocked there in the first place. While Amanda and I probably have ingredients on this blog that might not be in everyone’s kitchen, I like to keep things on the generally simpler side maybe with a few substitutions here and there if and ingredient is completely out of the question. When I saw Tapioca flour/starch was needed, I hoped there was some way around it. I will say though, it seems to be worth it to just bite the bullet and get some. The chewiness and texture of the start is unique in my experience and while I’m sure someone out there could provide an alternative, I recommend trying it. It should be noted that this also makes these little beauties gluten-free, which I know is so trendy.

As a disclaimer, I’m sure that my method of putting these ingredients together is not traditional. Amanda utilized a different (probably more correct) method involving heating and cooling and then baking and quite frankly that sounds like a lot to me (see science fiction quote). This really could not have been simpler, and makes an excellent last minute side dish if you’re ever in need (and already have that tapioca). The most difficult thing was probably cleaning the food processor. Without further ado, I present:

To recreate Merideth’s attempt at Pao de Queijo, you will need:

• 1 2/3 cups tapioca flour*
• 1 cup grated queso fresco**
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup of milk (I used skim milk, but I’m sure it can only be improved with more fat)
• 1 tsp salt
• Freshly greased muffin tin(s). This makes about 24ish puffs so you can do it in batches or all at once depending on your tin supply.

*Hint: At my grocery store, this was located with the baking goods next to the potato starch, and not the specialty gluten-free section. I have since seen it in this section as well though, so check both if you have them.

**Queso Fresco is fairly mild and 1 cup is certainly upping the ratio from initial attempts because I love the cheesy taste (and does anyone else hate measuring grated cheese? Just dump it in!). However, if you want maybe a bit sharper taste or if your grocery store isn’t the best with its cheese selection, you could use a combination of mozzarella and parmesan (or just parmesan) to equal about 2/3 cup. 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees as you are putting everything else together.
• Dump everything into a food processor and pulse until everything is smooth and blended. This created more of a batter than a dough, so this is where those greased muffin tins come in handy.
• Fill each tin about 2/3-3/4 full and bake in the fully preheated oven for 20 minutes or until it puffs up and starts to develop brown spots.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool to a non-mouth-burning temperature but be sure to enjoy warm.

If you do not have a food processor, you can go Amanda’s route and heat the milk, oil and salt until combined, then remove from the heat and add the cheese and flour until combined. Then, wait for the mixture to cool a bit. Add the egg and spoon into your muffin tins continuing instructions above.

Wine Pairing: Moscato pairs really well with these treats, as the sweetness balances the cheese while still keeping with the lightness of this snack. Of course, you’re probably making yourself a steak to go with these so you could always just pair a nice red Cabernet and see what happens. Enjoy!

 

Garlic Ginger Pork Chops with Sweet Chili Glaze

We’ve had a bit of a hiatus lately as I prepared to move away from the east coast (boo!). While I am terribly sad that I am no longer within driving distance of Amanda, I sure am happy we took advantage of the lessened distance for those few months. Now, the distance dishes title seems more appropriate than ever as it is the perfect way to keep in touch between our (hopefully) semi-annual run-cations.

I’m sure it goes without saying though, that moving is a complete pain. Aside from living without furniture as the moving company is in transit, cross country driving along skinny country roads with two furry babies in the car, and the unpacking all my junk(still makes me shudder), the inability to cook a yummy, home-cooked meal was very wearing. There were 10 days from when the movers hauled our things from our South Carolina home to when they arrived in our new destination and another day or so before the pots and pans were located in our vast supply of boxes. Still, spending a few long days of unpacking, the last thing I want to do is go big time grocery shopping. For this post, we wanted to do something that feels fancy, is extremely flavorful and doesn’t use too many crazy ingredients. So, these garlic ginger pork chops with a sweet chili glaze is my go to. Inspired by this recipe by Skinnytaste, I absolutely love this dish. They feel a bit fancy, and are very low maintenance. To make these pork chops, you will need:

Pork Chops:

• 4 thick cut boneless pork chops (or bone-in if you prefer)
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1tsp ground black pepper

Glaze*:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp siracha
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

*The measurements/ratios of the glaze are fairly fluid and can be tuned to your palette. I prefer a spicier glaze so I may add a bit more sriracha. Usually I just eyeball this mixture. 

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix together the ingredients for the Sweet Chili Glaze in a small bowl and set aside as you prepare the pork chops.
• Blend together ginger, garlic, salt and pepper together and rub the chops in the spice blend with even coverage. Don’t be shy about it.
• Using a skillet or oven safe pan, brown the pork chops cooking about 5 minutes on each side.
• Once the chops are nicely browned, I like to brush a bit of the glaze on eat chop before transferring to the oven, however you can save it all for the end if you’d like. regardless, transfer the pan to the oven and continue to cook the chops in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature of each chop reaches 140 degrees.
• Brush the entirety of the glaze onto the pork chops dividing between the four of them, cover in foil and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Wine Pairing: To pair with the deliciousness and complex flavors of the sweet chili sauce, I coupled this dish with a Casillero del Diablo Devils Collection white wine blend that had notes of pineapple and citrus to match with the tart notes of the sweet chili. I think this was my favorite pairing so far, so if you happen to see this wine in the store, I highly recommend these two together.