For these lovely boneless pork chops, I mixed up a marinade using apple cider as the base flavor. I love apples with anything pork. For this recipe, I used Harissa infused olive oil. Harissa is the hottest infused olive oil. I paired it with the Maple Balsamic Vinegar. To purchase these specialty oils and vinegars, visit King's Olive Oil Company.
Due to the weather today being cold and rainy, the pork chops were baked in the oven. I'm sure they would have been even more amazing cooked on the grill.
As the pork chops baked, I boiled the marinade to kill any bacteria, reduce the liquid, and thicken the mixture to add to the pork chops near the end of their baking time.
4 oz. apple cider or apple juice
2 oz. Harissa olive oil
3 oz. Maple Balsamic Vinegar
1 oz. honey
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. granulated garlic
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. boneless pork chops
In a small bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients. Place pork chops in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Carefully pour marinade into bag and seal. Place in refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Place pork chops into dish and bake for 20 minutes.
While chops are baking, pour marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil AT LEAST 12 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer so that the marinade will continue to reduce and thicken.
Remove chops from oven and brush with reduced sauce. Return to oven for another 10 minute or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
I served the pork chops with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts which incorporated a chipotle flavor along with the maple balsamic vinegar. I was very happy with the results. The heat level wasn't that high for me. If you'd rather have a milder taste or no heat at all, choose either plain olive oil or the chipotle version.
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