A - Z Blog Challenge: P

A-Z Blog Challenge: P 

Pork Chops: 2 meals from one pack of pork chops!

Pork chops are one of my family's favourite meals. But the best thing about pork chops for me is that all pork chops come with Two Parts - the Chop and the Tail. When I buy one pack of pork chops the first job when I get home is to separate the chop parts and create two packs of pork - one with Trimmed pork chops and one with tails which become another meal of pork fingers.

  

Pack of 3 Pork Chops from store

Single chop cut into 2 parts - chop and tail

3 Pork Tails cut into 4 even sized Pork Fingers

Trimmed Pork chops after tails removed

Rose's best ever Porky Tails:

Recipe: Slow cooked stock base...

Stock Recipe for Pork: 

• 2 cups boiling water, 
• 1 pkt cup-a-soup ( usually chicken, but vegetable works well too)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon marmalade ( any kind will do or Apricot jam makes a good substitute) 
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce - for a bit of heat. Add some real chilli - or not - to suit your own taste.
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce 
• Season with pepper and a small pinch of salt - not too much as there are salty ingredients in there already.

Method: 

  

• Stir all the ingredients together for the stock mixture in jug. 
• Place pork chops in a deep fry pan ( it has to be able to contain the stock) 
• Pour stock over chops and cook on medium until stock starts to bubble. 
• Turn down to low setting and gently simmer for about an hour - turn chops regularly to allow both sides to absorb the delicious stock. 
• As the level of water goes down you can add more boiling water ** Maintain at least a half inch of surface liquid in the pan while cooking - DO NOT LET PAN DRY OUT - or the chops will stick fast!

Optional: 

Scrub a few potatoes and kumera, cut them in half and place cut side down into the stock and cook beside the chops. They will absorb the stock and taste amazing. Serve them with the pork, my husband loves to mash the potatoes and kumera into the stock gravy on the plate. Delicious!