Your Choice, Apple Topped Pork Chops Or Baked BBQ Pork Chops

Lean pork is known as "the other white meat" and is sometimes better for you than chicken. The key with pork is "lean". Buy some lean chops and prepare a tasty family meal using one or both of these recipes. Choose from Apple-Topped Pork Chops or Baked BBQ Chops each with it's own unique taste.

APPLE-TOPPED PORK CHOPS

4 boneless pork loin chops
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 med tart apples, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened apple juice, divided
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp cornstarch

In a large nonstick skillet, brown pork on both sides in oil. Place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken broth to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits. Pour over chops. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in the same skillet, saute apples in butter for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup apple juice and honey; cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon over meat. Bake, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through. Remove meat and apples to a serving platter and keep warm, reserving pan juices. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining apple juice until smooth; add reserved pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over pork and apples.

Yields 4 servings.

BAKED BARBECUE PORK CHOPS

4 (1 lb) boneless pork chops
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the pork chops with half the salt and the pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil, add chops and cook 3 to 4 minutes each side until browned. Transfer pork chops to an 8-inch square baking dish that has been lightly greased. In a small saucepan, combine the water, ketchup, vinegar, celery seed, nutmeg, bay leaf and other half of the salt. Bring to a boil and pour the mixture over the chops. Cover dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until done. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Enjoy!

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Classic Casseroles: A Satisfying Meal Choice

Nothing says "comfort food" quite like a homemade classic casserole served steaming hot from the oven. On days when the idea of a salad or a quick grilled meat just doesn't seem inspiring, a deep-dish casserole is a hearty and tasty alternative. The aroma itself, filling the kitchen as it slowly bakes in the oven, evokes feelings and memories of why home cooking is so nurturing for many people.

What exactly is a casserole? This French word simply means "saucepan." Thus, a traditional casserole consists of ingredients combined together in a deep dish (the casserole dish). A casserole then bakes slowly in the oven and is served hot in its baking dish, thus retaining the juices and pan flavorings for optimal taste.

Meat Casseroles

The ingredients of a classic casserole can vary widely from region to region, but the basic idea is the same everywhere. Meal-in-a-dish casseroles start with a meat or a fish choice. This can be freshly chosen for the dish; however, a casserole is also a much-loved opportunity to use up leftovers. Next comes vegetables, seasonings, and, often, a starch such as pasta, rice or flour. Many casseroles also use added liquid for flavor and consistency. Some typical examples of added liquid are wine, stock, milk, and condensed soup. Finally, there may be a bread or cheese topping to add a pleasantly flavored crunchy texture.

Some classic casseroles are side dishes and may not include meat or added vegetables. Favorites of this variety are scalloped potatoes and classic green bean casserole, both baked in the oven and served in their dish alongside the main course of a meal.

Some favorite classics, such as tuna and noodle casserole, are staples of American cooking from 1950s. During the post-war era, casseroles of all kinds could be found on the dinner table, as well as at church suppers and family potlucks in every state. Other popular casseroles originate from Europe and beyond. One only has to think of Italian lasagna, ratatouille or eggplant parmesan, Greek moussaka, French cassoulet, or traditional English shepherds' pie to realize how universal the method of casserole cooking has been and continues to be.

With so many choices, there is a classic casserole to suit every taste and budget. The aroma, presentation and intense flavors are sure to please everyone at the table as they enjoy this satisfying home-cooked meal.

Classic Casseroles: A Satisfying Meal Choice

Casseroles are true comfort food. We have put together a collection of delicious casserole recipes that will satisfy the hearty appetite; and that can be served for holidays, special occasions and everyday dining. Find the perfect casserole recipe from our growing selection of appetizers, side dishes, and entrees.

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Churrasco Barbecue - The Brazilian Meat Cooking Style of Choice

Often referred to as Brazilian, or Gaucho (Brazilian cowboy) style food, churrasco barbecue began as a method of rendering tough cuts of beef into more tender cuts.

A churrasco barbecue is a small brick fireplace about shoulder high. You build a small fire of wood charcoal (not the kind of charcoal you normally buy) under a rotisserie, with spits at various heights above the fire.

Churrascos are becoming very popular around the world, with restaurants(called churrascarias) and restaurant chains specializing in this style of cooking popping up everywhere. Homes everywhere are building churrascos into their outdoor kitchen and patio designs. Always popular in South America, this barbecue cooking style can be found throughout Asia, Europe, and North America.

In today's world, a churrasco barbecue works well with all store-bought cuts of meat, including the quality cuts, which end up very tender and juicy.

A churrasco cooks a little differently than the rotisserie over a grill that Westerners normally use. It has the added dimension of heat that radiates from the brick walls. This creates kind of an "oven effect", where the meat is being cooked on all sides at once. In other words, even the side of meat facing away from the fire is being cooked. This radiant heat helps seal in the juices evenly. Surprisingly, very little of the juices from the meat actually drip into the fire and coals.

How a modern churrasco is usually set up is to have the lower rotisserie spits rotate mechanically, while the upper ones are turned by hand. There are even inserts you can buy that are fit to slide into the churrasco opening.

Before cooking, the meat is usually seasoned with sea salt or garlic, and cooked slowly over the fire. Various marinades can also be used.

Beef is not the only cut of meat used in a churrasco barbecue. Pork, chicken, goat (cabrito), and sausage (linguica,a spicy Brazilian sausage), are all regularly used, and with excellent results. Very lean wild game works well also, since a churrasco helps keep in most of the fat and juices.

Unlike the barbecue grill normally used, a churrasco barbecue makes it possible to cook several large cuts of meat at once. This makes it perfect when cooking for a large number of people. Since it is such a slow cooking method, even the cook gets to relax and enjoy the party.

Accompaniments for the cooked meat include garlic sauce, limes, and olive oil. Chicken and pork tastes wonderful when drizzled with a little olive oil and a squeeze or two of lime juice. For churrasco barbecues, it's the simple ingredients that create the wonderful flavors.

Billy Bristol is the editor and chief bbq pitmaster for TexasBarbeques.com, an outdoor cooking and entertaining website devoted to backyard living. TexasBarbeques.com has been providing barbecue recipes, cooking tips, grilling techniques, and backyard entertainment ideas since 2005.
TexasBarbeques.com

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