Baking pork chops in the oven

Pork, The Other White Meat, was an advertising slogan developed for the National Pork Board and it successfully made pork a household word. For many years people were somewhat afraid of pork. 

The fear of trichinosis, caused homemakers to cook their pork so long that it was usually served dry and tough, not a very appealing combination. While trichinosis still exists, the US government has set standards for the way that hog feed is prepared and the risk has been greatly reduced. It is known that if you are still wary of the parasite, all you really need to do is cook your port to a temperature of 140 degrees. The parasite cannot survive beyond a temperature of 137 degrees.

You can choose lots of great ways to bake pork chops. You can opt for the long slow method which produces a fall apart chop that is fork-tender and loaded with flavor. It is given a milk and egg bath and dredged in flavored bread crumbs before being placed in a 9 by 13 roasting pan and covered with aluminum foil. 

It is cooked for hours in a low heat oven and the results will blow you away. It is luscious as most pork chops are not and just so that you can relax and just enjoy this wonderful pork, use a meat thermometer to be sure you have exceeded 130 degrees. If you steer clear of pork because you think it is dry, give this method a try, you will be a convert. 

Another way to bake pork chops is in water. Get out your roasting pan and cube up a couple pounds of any white potatoes and two or three yellow onions, place these in the pan with six nice center-cut bone-in pork chops. Don't go for the thin chops, get a nice thick cut. Cover everything with about 2 inches of water and 2 tablespoons of Gravymaster. Place the pan in a 350-degree oven and cook for about an hour and a half uncovered. You will know that it is done when the water is gone and the potatoes and onions are starting to get crispy.  

These pork chops have a very deep flavor and the potatoes and the onions are just the best. You can add other vegetables if you want such as carrots or other root vegetables. This is a hearty meal and makes a great fall or winter dish. It can be done on the counter in an electric frypan as well.

  

Baking pork chops is a good way to pull all the flavor out of them. Breaded or not, they are the perfect meal without having to do a whole lot of extra work, they cook themselves with very little attention from you.

Farfalle with garlic chicken and spinach

Necessity is the mother of invention and we will be leaving soon to head back north. I had some fresh spinach and a chicken breast and I didn't want to waste them I decided to boil some farfalle and make an olive oil sauce with garlic and spinach to pour over it. I cooked the chicken in the air fryer.




This pasta dish served 2.


Chicken breast:

Salt and pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes. Place the chicken on the tray and cook for three minutes. Pause the machine, turn over the chicken and cook for another 3 minutes. Slice and set aside.




Boil about half a pound of pasta.




In a frying pan pour in olive oil, I mixed chili garlic oil with just regular olive oil, sorry I never measure but put enough so that the spinach won't stick, add prewashed spinach, and cover. When the spinach has wilted add a tablespoon of jarred garlic, the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper. Place on warm. Add some of the pasta water and more olive oil to make enough to constitute a sauce.




Pour over pasta, add sliced chicken, add another squeeze of fresh lemon, and if you like grated cheese. Eat and enjoy.