Hooked on a Chile

I do believe I’m becoming a chipotle chile addict. I can’t seem to get enough of that wonderful smoky hotness.

That same hotness paired with reduced orange juice creates one of my favorite flavor combinations--hot-sweet--and, in this case, smoky to boot.

With these pork chops, keep the side dishes rather plain--such as steamed green beans and white rice--so that you don’t get too much going on at once.

Orange Chipotle Pork Chops

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes

1 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons butter

4 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops

Salt, pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 canned chipotle chile packed in adobo sauce, or more to taste

* Bring orange juice to boil over medium heat in small saucepan, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

* Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and season with salt and pepper. Cook until chops are nicely browned on the outside and just barely tinged with pale pink in the center, about 4 minutes a side. Set aside and keep warm.

* Add garlic to skillet and cook over medium heat just until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chicken broth and chipotle, along with some of adobo sauce. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by about 1/4 and slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Add reduced orange juice and simmer 5 minutes more.

* Puree sauce in blender and return to skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and stir until combined, about 1 minute. Return pork chops to skillet and cook just until heated through, about 2 minutes.

2 servings. Each serving: 386 calories; 784 mg sodium; 112 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.

MENU

Orange Chipotle Pork Chops

Steamed Green Beans

White Rice

Ingredients

SHOPPING LIST

Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 pound green beans

4 (4-ounce) pork loin chops

STAPLES

Butter

Chicken broth

Garlic

2 to 3 oranges

White rice

COUNTDOWN

30 minutes before: Start reducing orange juice. Put on water for rice. Trim green beans.

25 minutes before: Put on water for beans. Start cooking chops.

15 minutes before: Cook rice. Start making sauce.

5 minutes before: Steam beans. Finish sauce.