Real life: Hunter and I have cooked less since we got married.  We will still put simple meals together (like our go to veggie noodle bowls), but we don’t consistently cook what I’ll call fancy meals, and we pick up a lot of take out.  I’ll blame it on our lives being pretty busy lately and having a lot of activities after work… but the other Sunday night we were in town (a first) and I was down to cook.  I wanted to try something new, and this recipe fit the bill.

Chipotle Pineapple Pork Chops

Ingredients:

PORK CHOPS

• 1 lb Boneless pork chops
• 1 T Chili powder
• 1 t Paprika
• 1/2 t Sea salt
• 1/2 t Cumin
• 1/2 T Garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• 3-4 Pineapple slices (fresh or canned)
• Garnish: cilantro, queso fresco, 1/2 lime

CILANTRO CHIPOTLE SAUCE

• 1 T Chipotles in adobe sauce, minced
• 1/4 C Cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 C Milk

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat with some olive oil on the bottom.  In a small bowl mix the chili powder, paprika, salt, cumin, and garlic together. Brush each pork chop with olive oil. Rub each side of the pork chops with the spice mixture.  Cook your pork chops for 2-3minutes per side (4-5 minutes for thicker chops). 

While the pork chops are cooking, mix together milk, chipotle peppers, and cilantro until smooth in a blender. Set this aside.  Also, place your pineapple slices on a baking sheet in the oven on broil for 3-4 minutes.

When the pork chops are cooked through, reduce to low heat and pour the sauce on top.  Let them simmer for 2-3 minutes.

On a plate, garnish pork with pineapple, lime juice, cilantro, and serve warm!

Edits : The original recipe didn’t include topping with queso fresco, but I had some handy and have been putting it on everything lately.  I also spooned some sauce over the pineapple too, because I loved the sauce so much.

Results : While I’m confessing things… I’ve never made pork chops before. Ever. I had them a good amount growing up, but have never made them myself – maybe I assumed they were harder to cook than basic chicken? Who knows.. Either way, this was incredibly easy to make – like I was shocked at how flavorful it was with minimal effort.  A complete bite with pork chop, pineapple, sauce and queso fresco was DELICIOUS. Definitely a keeper.