Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Raspberry Sauce

 allrecipes.com Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce

I love pork - it is no secret!  Of course it has to be cooked properly. Many folks are afraid of pork and tend to overcook it. After all, most of the meat thermometers advise you to cook pork to 160 degrees. Please don't ever do that! Those are old standards and it overcooks the pork to a dry, tough, tasteless, nasty something you don't want to eat (which is probably why many don't care for pork)! Pork should be removed from the oven between 140-145 degrees and let rest for about 10 mins. I like to remove it closer to 140 degrees.

This is a quick and easy meal you can make any night of the week, yet it is so delicious and impressive it is good enough for company! It is one of my faves!

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine crushed thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over pork chops.

Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook pork chops for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and keep warm in preheated oven.

In the skillet, combine raspberry jam, orange juice, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency (sauce will thicken as it cools). Spoon sauce in a pool onto a serving plate, and top with pork chops.

This pairs perfectly with Garlic Spinach and Mashed Potatoes

NOTE:  If you aren't a fan of the tang vinegar offers, I advise to  add 1 tablespoon of the white wine vinegar and then reduce the sauce to desired consistency. Then give it a taste to see how that works for you. Add more as desired. Personally, I use the full 2 tablespoons - it is just right for my tastes.

TIP:  When I make this for company I always double the sauce. I double everything in the sauce except the vinegar. I do add more before serving if I feel it needs it.

Sauteed Garlic Spinach on Mashed Potatoes

Sauteed Garlic Spinach on Mashed Potatoes was a happy accident! One night while cooking dinner, I was planning to pop some frozen veges into the microwave until I went to the freezer and couldn't find my veges!!


OH NO what to do?! I couldn't just serve the meat and potatoes without a vege! That wouldn't be right! Right?

I had to think fast - pretty much everything was ready to go! Then the light bulb went off - I had a bag of spinach! But how will it pair with mashed potatoes? That just sounded weird to me, but whatever, I was desperate. No time to get picky now!