The Recipe That Changed My Life

 

            When I was a teenager I was heavily involved in 4-H with dogs, horses, textiles and food preparation. As a junior in high school, I lived for the summer activities of horse and dog shows and county fairs. My first, and so far only, venture into competitive cooking came when I was sixteen. My best friend and I decided we would enter not only the baked goods category, but also a class titled "Plan a Meal".  The object was to plan the menu for a nutritious dinner, including an appetizer course and dessert; create a table setting appropriate for the meal, complete with centerpiece; and last, but not least, actually prepare the entrée.

            I had discovered a dish in the "Joy of Cooking" called Braised Pork Chops Creole. Having made it for my family several times, I decided that this would be my entry.  The day of the competition, I got up early and prepared everything. It had occurred to me earlier that I would have to transport the saucy dish from home to the fairgrounds. Borrowing mom's crock-pot seemed like a great way to keep the stuff hot.

            I arrived at the fairgrounds purposely early. There would be plenty of time for everything to re-heat. Plugging in the crock-pot, I went on about my business. When it was time for judging, I returned to my station. My place setting had earned a blue ribbon (top 10% in the 4-H world) and my menu a red. Apparently, I went a little heavy on the starch, and a little light on the green leafy vegetables.

            Now it was time for the judge to taste my dish. She sat across the table, a stack of small paper plates and plastic utensils at her side. An older lady, she had an air of friendly intimidation. Confidently, I lifted the lid to my creation. To my horror, the entire top was a pool of grease. Not knowing what else to do, I gulped and served up a portion, carefully trying to dip the sauce from the bottom. Thankfully, Madam Judge was kind. She rated the flavor of the meat as excellent, also the texture and tenderness. However, the sauce was ruined. She suggested that next time I remove the bone from the chops, and trim all possible fat.

            I didn't earn a ribbon, but I did learn something. I had not realized how much fat was hidden in the chops. I'd always served them right away, so the excess had stayed hidden within the meat. The additional heating time spent sitting in the crock-pot had released it into the sauce. Though a mildly embarrassing lesson, it was a valuable one. I have been diligent in my trimming, and always bone the chops in this dish.

            Shortly thereafter, I met my future husband. One Saturday, when we had been dating for about three months, he came over to help my Dad build a fence. I cooked dinner that night, and made Pork Chops Creole. Years later, he said that was the night he knew he wanted to marry me someday. So even in the last quarter of the twentieth century, the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. I imagine it still can be. Here it is, almost thirty-four years later, and it's still a favorite.

            For a really fabulous version, use smoked pork chops.

Creole Style Pork Chops                

Serves 4

4 center-cut loin pork chops, boned and trimmed well

½ cup flour seasoned with pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika

1 med. onion, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced, optional

1 - 15oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 - 6oz can tomato paste

3 tbsp. olive oil

Combine tomatoes and tomato paste, and stir until well blended. Pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of a greased 2.5 liter casserole. Fold the vegetables into the rest. Add a little water if necessary.  Set aside.

Trim chops of all excess fat. Rinse and pat dry. Place seasoned flour in a plastic zipper bag. Shake chops in flour, one at a time.

Heat oil on medium high in heavy skillet. Brown floured chops until golden. Remove from heat. Lay browned chops on sauce in casserole dish. Pour vegetable-tomato mixture on top of the meat.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour, or until thickest part of chop reads 165°. 

Serve on a bed of white/wild rice blend, with a green salad.

Variation:

Use 4 fully cooked, smoked pork chops. Remove the bone, if present, trim excess fat, and reduce the baking time to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.