I found this recipe at Kalyn's Kitchen while I was perusing Menu Plan Monday over at OrgJunkie one day, trying to create my freezer meal list for my once a month cooking day in Novembr. I made a smaller batch of chops, so I cut the recipe in half; my version is below.
Pork Cooked in a Pickling Style
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 bay leaves
1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
3 pork chops
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable oil (don't use less, this keeps the sauce from being too strong)
Directions:
In large bowl big enough to hold pork chops, put 1/2 chopped garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, ground black pepper, and sugar. Mix well and add pork chops. Put in refrigerator to marinate 1 hour, turning occasionally if possible. Heat oil in frying pan big enough to hold all pork chops in one layer, add remaining chopped garlic and saute until barely starting to turn color. Add pork chops and marinating liquid, stir in cup water, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently 30-45 minutes, turning pork chops a few times. Remove lid from pan and turn heat to medium high. Cook another 10-15 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and glazed pork chops.
If freezing: Prepare as directed and place cooked pork chops in a food saver bag. Vacuum-seal and freeze. Thaw 24 hours in refrigerator. Heat in microwave for 3 minutes and serve.
Oh, man, this meal was awesome! Way, way better than I expected. Everyone loved the pork chops. And you know what? We all loved the Sweet Potato Fries!! The year 2009 will be known as the year of the sweet potato. It's the first year I have voluntarily cooked with sweet potatoes and have actually learned to like them (that includes the whole family!). So tonight's meal definitely gets 5 stars--a great new recipe for pork chops, and a great way to eat sweet potatoes. ***** (those are my 5 stars!)
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Wonderful! Can I come to your house for dinner? Just kidding. That is a little too far away. However, that makes me wonder are you able to have dinner guests on a budget? How do you do it? If you've already posted this, please tell me which entry.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wondered how the chore charts have worked out for your children. I would kind of like an update. Did you have to adjust anything? Were you able to stay consistent? Are they still in use?
No need to answer this right away, but I'd like to know eventually. Take care.
Hey gal! Lots of questions, but good ones! We very rarely have dinner guests. Not because we don't want to, but we tend to work on a tight schedule, in addition to the tight budget. Typically, if we have guests over, it's the missionaries from church, or for the kids' birthdays, and that's about it. When the missionaries come over, I tend to prepare the same type of meal we usually eat, I just make a little extra of everything to keep the meal within a reasonable cost. You can still have a really great meal without spending a lot of money. One meal that's really good and very inexpensive is homemade soup, especially great on a cold night. Add some crackers and perhaps sliced apples and you're done.
ReplyDeleteFor birthdays, I tend to make a big spread, but I work the cost into the budget. Other than that, we have invited friends and family over for our annual 4th of July celebration. However, we make this a potluck event, so although there is a big spread, it's not a budget buster.
I'm sad to report that we haven't done so well keeping up with the chore charts. They are on our fridge, and the chores are still there. HOWEVER, we really don't need the chore charts. Our kids got into a good routine when we first got the chore charts, so they got used to what we expected of them. Our son still vacuums and makes his bed, all on his own, and he loves doing it. Our daughter helps me in the kitchen, cooking supper, setting the table. Having the chore chart was a good start, that's for sure. And since our kids do show motivation in completing their chores, we reward them with special treats like a family movie night, staying up a little late on a Friday night, and other things that we know they will enjoy.
Take care & thanks for the questions!