Braised Pork Chops with Pineapple Curry Sauce

The spiciness of curry powder complements the sweet tastes of pineapple and brown sugar while the wine and cream sauce counteract any dryness in the pork chops. The amounts are approximate and should be adjusted to suit the number of servings, portion size and your taste preferences.

4 pork chops about 8 oz. each
1 T. curry powder
1-2 T. olive oil for sauté
4 pineapple rings, canned (in pineapple juice)
4 t. brown sugar
1-2 C. sweet Marsala wine
½-¾ C. whipping cream

Sprinkle the pork chops lightly with curry powder on both sides. As you learn this recipe you can adjust the amount of curry powder to suit your taste preference. Heat the olive oil in a skillet large enough to fit all the pork chops in one layer. Sauté the pork chops over medium heat until the they reach a light to medium brown color but not burned, then turn once and brown the other side. Reduce the heat. Top each pork chop with a pineapple ring (reserve the pineapple juice). Place about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar in each of the pineapple ring holes. Pour the pineapple juice from the can around the pork chops and add enough Marsala to immerse the lower halves of the pork chops in liquid. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes, adding additional Marsala as necessary to keep the liquid level high enough to prevent the pan from going dry. Be careful to keep the heat low enough to so you won't burn the bottoms of the pork chops.

Move the pork chops to a dish and put them in a warm oven. Begin reducing the remaining pan juices over medium-high heat while stirring frequently, and add enough whipping cream to lighten the color of the liquid. There is no need to be frugal with your whipping cream. You can add additional Marsala if the sauce gets too thick. Continue reducing and adjust the heat if necessary. The sauce should be moderately thick but don't get carried away. When you're done reducing the sauce it should still be easy to pour without needing to scrape the pan to get it out.

Remove the pork chops from the oven and place them on individual plates (which should also be warmed), then pour some sauce over each of the chops. Serving suggestion: serve with brown rice and a wedge of fresh pineapple.

Note: Instead of canned pineapple rings you can use fresh pineapple slices but the canned pineapple rings are quite nice enough.

Credit: My own original recipe.

Filed under Meat Tagged pork, dinner