Apple & Brown Sugar Pork Chops

I opened my package of pork chops today to find something extra. There, poking out from under the tender, pink meat, was a small package containing a sort of thermometer. The package claimed that its contents would let me know when my pork was "done".

 

"Cook'd Right™ Instructions:

1. Insert tip into meat while cooking, wait 10 seconds, remove & check if done. 

2. Continue cooking and checking until done. Done when dot matches red arrow. 

Discard sensor when finished."

Let's see how this little piece of plastic technology works while making this recipe. 

Apple & Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Time: 15 minutes prep time

30 minutes cook time

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Pork chops (bone in for more flavor)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp ginger

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch

Directions

Preheat grill to medium.

Bring all above ingredients (except pork chops) to a boil in a small saucepan. 

Allow to cook until reduced by half.

Brush one side of pork chops with glaze and place, glazed side down on the grill. Allow to cook until good grill marks appear on bottom side.

When grill marks appear, turn chops 90° to make cross marks. 

Brush top of chops with more glaze and turn over. When grill marks appear on second side, turn 90° again to make cross marks.

Continue to baste chops with remaining sauce until done. Chops are done when the internal temperature reaches 145°.

So how did our plastic thermometer do? I checked the temperature with both the plastic thermometer and my digital thermometer. When my chops were actually done, the digital thermometer reading was at 146.7. 

At that same time, the dot on the end of the plastic apparatus had not changed. 

I did not continue to cook my chops to see at what temperature the plastic thermometer read as "done", as I didn't want to dry out my chops. 

This chop was cooked to juicy perfection, completely white throughout and not a bit dry.

Verdict:

Don't trust the "ready when" technology included in meat packaging.

 

Have a great 4th of July weekend, y'all. I'll be back next week!

God bless America... and God bless you too!

 

 

Shrimp Magazine - Joey K's Style

My husband, Tim, and I went to New Orleans for the second time back in March. There was so much we wanted to do there, that it was impossible to cover it all in a week. The history is so rich and colorful, and it is evident in everything. The people, the music, the architecture, and the food all tell a story about New Orleans' influence on America.

While visiting The Big Easy, we always make sure to sample as much local cuisine as we can. The famous Joey K's Restaurant on Magazine Street in the Garden District is one of the "don't miss" places in NOLA. They are in a cute little building on a corner lot with tables on the sidewalk and local artists' work on the walls. Their menu features New Orleans cuisine including Red Beans and Rice, Trout Tchoupitoulas, and Creole Jambalaya. They have also been featured on the Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.

Tim, being the shrimp fan that he is, ordered one of their more famous dishes, Shrimp Magazine. Their menu reads, "Large butterfly shrimp sauteed in olive oil & white wine with garlic, artichoke hearts, ham, & green onion served over angel hair pasta". Sounds like a winner, no? I assure you that it was.

On arriving home, I couldn't wait to try my hand and making this dish. Here is my recipe.

Joey K's My Shrimp Magazine

Time: 30 minutes

Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

1 lb angel hair pasta, prepared according to package directions

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb ham, diced

10-12 artichoke hearts, halved

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 C white wine

1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 medium bunch green onions, chopped

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

(leave the stuff in the green can on the shelf at the store) 

Directions

While angel hair pasta is cooking...

Heat Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Drizzle in olive oil and add ham and artichoke hearts. Saute' until the ham and artichoke hearts begin to brown. 

 Toss in garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, until the scent of garlic begins to fill the room.

 Pour in wine, Cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce, and allow to cook for 15 minutes.

In the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the shrimp, only allowing it to cook until pink. Don't overcook the shrimp, it will be dry and rubbery, and not as good.

Serve over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese and green onion.

<-------This is Joey K's famous Shrimp Magazine

This is my Shrimp Magazine recipe ------->

Please let me know if you try it! I'd love to hear from you!