Look, it's me in the paper: pork chops with sweet onion marmalade

March 02, 2012

Look, it's me in the paper: pork chops with sweet onion marmalade

Yep, that's me in the food pages of today's "Indianapolis Star" with the "Reader Recipe" of the week! So exciting! They've asked to use some of my recipes on a rotating basis and I'm happy to oblige. My girls couldn't believe I submitted the "OMG Yogurt-Marinated Herbed Chicken Skewers", not because they aren't delicious but they expected something flashier. Hopefully we'll get around to flashy! Pick up the paper today or look online at www.indystar.com. That's a picture of me carrying a creme brûlée cheesecake into dinner club last summer and yes, I was talking in the picture. I submitted just a head shot too that's less quirky.....

In honor of my first published recipe today's recipe will be an Indiana favorite: pork chops. The Indiana Pork Producers take their piggies seriously. This is the place to try a fried pork tenderloin sandwich or Perkinsville Pork. And then there's the story of how I knew Greg was the one for me. Let's visit that semi-quickly. I met my husband my very first day on campus when he came by Shreve Hall checking on all the Carmel girls just moving in. You know, just a helpful sophomore who knew a girl on my floor. Fast forward about a month later when I'm so tired of being so sick and he's the only one I can think of that I can call to take me to the Student Health Center on a Sunday night. I'm sniffling and sobbing in the waiting room and he stays with me and reads to me from "American Pig Farmer" magazine. Where else would you find that periodical on a college campus? Well I'm guessing Iowa, but that's beside the point. He's a funny guy. Married him three years later. Oh, and I only had hay fever. Never had it in northeastern Ohio, a little more pollen amongst the corn and soybean fields of Indiana. Still struggle with the hay fever but the marriage is working out great 27 1/2 years later!

This is an adaptation of a recipe I watched Giada whip up one day while I was on the treadmill. I served it with simple polenta (water, coarse corn grits-I like Bob's Mill brand in the bag, a little olive oil, salt and pepper) and a bib lettuce salad with fresh buttermilk ranch dressing (plain Greek yogurt, a little buttermilk and Penzey's buttermilk ranch seasoning). Delicious.

pork chops with sweet onion marmalade, polenta and bibb lettuce with buttermilk ranch

Onion Marmalade

2-3 T olive oil

4 large onions, thinly sliced

1/4 C low sugar orange marmalade

1T chopped fresh rosemary

1 T chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T sugar (optional, taste it first)

Pork Chops

1 T chopped fresh rosemaray

1 T chopped fresh thyme

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pork chops (2-6 or however many you would like)

For the marmalade, heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions and cook until starting to sizzle. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for an hour or so, stirring every 20 minutes to scrape up the brown bits. The onions will be soft and deep brown in color.

Meanwhile, for the pork chops combine the spices in heap on your cutting board and mince it all together and toss in a bowl to combine. Pat rub evenly over chops and hold in the refrigerator until ready to grill. Either heat a grill pan brushed with olive oil on your cooktop or preheat your outdoor grill. Grill chops to medium about 7-10 minutes per side depending on thickness. Serve with warm onion marmalade heaped on top.