Old English Burgundy sweet and sour Pork chops

The thought of food gets me through each day. Some people count down the hours to a special event, a holiday or a night out on the town. I count down the hours to lunch time and then home time; only because I know supper is just around the corner! My parents and I work full office hours from Monday to Friday, so we plan ahead and select meals that are quick and easy to make during the week. Often we end up in a menu routine with fish on Mondays, chicken on Tuesdays and Thursdays, red meat or pork on Wednesdays and light meals on Fridays.

Tired of the same old dishes and raring to break the routine a bit; I decided to try out one of my Gran’s ‘golden oldie’ recipes. It’s a recipe she has been using for many years. At first I thought it was going to be an involved process but it wasn’t. It turned out to be pretty easy and on our weekly menu the following week.

This recipe sure does get the pork meat falling off the bone! It’s not as quick as popping a piece of fish or chicken in the oven for a couple of minutes and presto you’re done. It does require a bit more cooking time, but the result is juicy, succulent pork chops. I now know why my Gran (in England) has been so eager for me to try this recipe out. Pick your choice vegetables and starch to accompany it; we had creamed spinach, sweetcorn and baked crispy potatoes. It’s definitely a pick me up meal for the midweek slump and perfect to have on the menu during winter time.     

Ingredients: 

4 Pork chops                                  

  ¾ tsp Salt                                   

 Pinch of pepper

1 Tsp Brown sugar                 

1 Tsp  Cornflour

1 Cup Burgundy wine (or cooking red wine)

1 Cup of tinned pineapple (crushed or pieces – not drained)

1 Tsp Margerine/Butter

1 Tsp Rich prepared mustard

 Spray and Cook

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Season the chops with salt and pepper.  Coat your cooking pan with Spray and Cook and melt margerine/butter in it. Place the chops snuggly in the pan. If you don’t like your pork rind gooey; trim the fat off, season with salt and place them in a separate pan (that has been coated with Spray and Cook). Place both trays in the preheated oven. Cook the chops for about 45 minutes or until they resemble a crisp brown colour. Turn the chops and rind every 15 minutes in between the cooking time.   

While your meat is cooking in the oven blend mustard, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the wine and pineapple (pieces or crushed with juice).  Stir until mixture boils and thickens.

Once the pork chops have baked in the oven for 45 minutes, pour the sweet and sour mixture over the chops. Cover your roasting pan with tin foil or if using a casserole dish use the lid.  Put your meat dish back into the oven (still at 180 degrees) for about an hour. When the meat is cooked, your crackling should also be ready to take out.

Extra tip: Every time you turn the rind, crush a bit of salt on it and empty out the fatty oil to ensure your rind gets crispy.

Serves 4