Sunday, January 8, 2012

Paleo Dijon Pork Chops

I'm still getting back into the swing of things when it comes to cooking dinners.  I still have some "off" days, but thankfully my good days far outnumber the bad ones.  I've been kind of excited to finally get back to cooking.  Its been a long couple months of eating leftovers (if I would make a big crockpot of something on a weekend... cooked in the garage to avoid the smell :)), food brought over by my family, and eating out.  I think we were all looking forward to home-cooked family dinners again.  :)

I was hungry for pork chops last week, so I came up with this recipe based off of things that have been tasty in the past.  This is super simple and a very quick meal... Perfect for a work night!  Dinner was on the table within a little less than 20 minutes after starting the prep.  And it was delicious!  That's my kind of meal! 

Paleo Dijon Pork Chops

2-3 pork chops, preferably pastured pork
2-3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper

Preheat a stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add some coconut oil to melt.  Also, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, mix dijon, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Dip pork chops into mixture, making sure all surfaces are covered. 

Place pork chops in hot skillet.  Don't move them once you put them down in the skillet.  You want to get a nice brown color on each side.  It took mine about 2 minutes per side. 



Once both sides have been seared, transfer the skillet to your preheated oven.  Cook until done, probably about 7-9 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve.

I served these with peas, corn, and side salads.  Enjoy!


This post is linked to:
Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade
Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist
Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke is Online

4 comments:

Extraordinary Ordinary Life said...

Sounds really good and easy. Does the Paleo diet involve no grains?

Mary Voogt said...

These sound simple and delicious. I'm always looking for new ways to cook pork. I may have to try this.

Sara said...

Gretchen, you are right, Paleo involves no grains. It also involves no legumes, processed foods, etc. It is based on the way our ancestors ate - meat/protein from grass-fed/pastured/free range/wild sources, wild caught fish, vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats, nuts and seeds.

Mary, this was very tasty and super easy. Couldn't get much easier, really. Carson started out dinner by saying he doesn't think he likes pork anymore, but knows the rule is that he has to try it. He has always loved pork, but it's been a long time since we've had it. He took his first bite and said "Mmm, I was wrong, Mama. I do like pork - yum! This is so moist and very flavorful." LOL... my little foodie in the making. Haha!

Mary Voogt said...

Too funny, Sara. Rebecca has been that way about things lately too. "Mama, I do like XXX now." She will now finally eat hard boiled egg yolks!! Without gagging. It's a miracle. Although tonight she kept telling me she doesn't like fat. Sad :P We'll have to work on that one.