It’s getting close to midnight and although I sat down at the computer about 2 hours ago I’ve now started to type up this post. Instead of writing I got sucked into yet another bunch of political debates….okay, arguments. Without getting into politics here on my blog, let me just say that some people really piss me off. Our country has become so divided between the right and the left, the liberals and the conservatives, I sometimes wonder if we haven’t passed the point of no return. Of course, each side blames the other for spreading the hate and fear mongering, but both sides engage in this type of rhetoric and discourse. I have my political leanings but even those I support are part of the problem. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to vote them all out of office and start all over again.

But enough of my ranting. You haven’t come to a food blog to read about politics, but don’t worry, the recipe I have today is worth wading through that short sidebar. Once again, I turn my sites to the humble hog for inspiration, because, come on, what’s not to love about pig! Pork is such a flavorful and versatile product. Virtually every last bit of the pig can be used, literally from snout to tail and from the tops of the ears down to the hooves. And the pig has given us one of mankind’s greatest gifts – bacon!!!! What’s not to love about bacon; crispy meat, rich, juicy fat and a deep sweet smokiness. I truly feel for those people whose religion forbids them from not ever knowing the joys of bacon. But I digress, again. I blame it on the late hour and too much cyber debating.

Moving on. This recipe calls for pork chops. It doesn’t matter which type of chop you choose, but choose chops with the bone in. All chops come from the loin section, a part of the pig that lies along the middle of it’s back. This location doesn’t get used much by the pig, compared to other muscles so the whole loin is pretty tender and moist. My personal favorite for chops is a rib chop, which contains a large round eye of meat surrounded by fat on three sides and a rib bone on the other. But you may use whichever chop you like best or better yet, whichever type is on sale.

Coriander Crusted Pork Chops with Lime Glaze

4 pork chops, thick cut (about 6-10 oz each)
salt
pepper
coriander seed, whole

1/2 cup Lime Marmalade**
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Grind the coriander in a spice mill or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground, leaving some larger pieces in the mix. Season the chops with salt and pepper and generously season with the ground coriander.

Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling. Meanwhile combine the marmalade, vinegar, honey, cayenne and chili powder and stir to combine. Preheat your grill. Clean and oil the grates and place chops over high heat. Cook for about 6 minutes.

Flip and cook another 6 minutes. Remove to a cooler part of the grill. Brush 1 side with glaze, cover grill and cook for 3 minutes. Flip, brush other side with glaze and cook 3 minutes making sure the bottom isn’t burning. Continue this until all the glaze has been used up and the pork chops are cooked through, about 150°F. Watch the chops carefully as the glaze will burn if the heat is too high. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

**Note: Use the provided link to make your own lime marmalade or you can substitute any other marmalade for the lime marmalade. Any citrus flavor would compliment the other flavors in the recipe well.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I am very much a “traditionalist.” I like my roasted or grilled turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, etc. I don’t have nearly that same feeling about Christmas dinner. Sure, I am happy with a repeat of Thanksgiving, which often happens in my family, but I am also very happy to change it up. My wife’s family often follows a more European tradition and serves goose, with all the trimmings. Since her father is from Hungary that usually means an Eastern European flair to the meal with lots of sweet and sour dishes, plenty of starches, the giblets showing up in numerous recipes, and wonderful, earthy rye bread.

In my family, when we move away from turkey, we sometimes do a standing rib roast (aka Prime Rib), one of my favorites, but in recent years we have done a lot of pork, usually in the form of a Crown Roast. It usually gets filled with a stuffing of cornbread, sausage, dried cherries and pecans. This has become a favorite of ours and looks quite festive and elegant gracing our holiday table. Unfortunately, if you want to do a crown roast you either need to be feeding an army or be prepared for plenty of leftovers as these things are quite large. Luckily pork is very versatile and there are numerous, smaller cuts that can be turned into an elegant centerpiece for your Christmas dinner.

Pork loin is an obvious choice for a holiday dinner. Roasted, it makes a beautiful looking focal point to the holiday groaning board. It can be purchased is any size from 1 pound to about 8 or 9 pounds, making it a great choice for just about any size get together. Pork also goes well with many of the dishes people serve at Christmas time, many of which mirror people’s Thanksgiving spreads. To make it even more of a standout, I like to stuff it “pinwheel” style. Sliced and laid out on a platter, surrounded by Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and a few sprigs of fresh herbs, you have a dish that will wow friends and family alike. (continue reading…)