Brazilian Pork Chops In Orange Sauce /Partial Success

I think it is pretty well documented that we really do like food, and we are not particular about the origins of it.  Well I guess that is untrue because I did read a recipe today about using yellow jacket grubs in a stew.  Though I currently have a yellow jacket nest in the far corner of the yard, possibly loaded with free for the digging grubs, I passed on that easily.  I guess most people would not opt to cook something when the final instruction is "be careful and good luck".  Maybe I should just begin again and state we are not picky about the ethnicity of recipes for foods that we normally considered edible!

I was going through old recipes I had clipped throughout the years and found this one for Brazilian Pork Chops In Orange Sauce.  I cannot claim that they are traditionally Brazilian and I cant give credit to any publication who might have originally published it.  All I had was a small snipped recipe that was from some magazine, some time over the past 30 + years.  That narrows it down considerably doesn't it?

This met my list of criteria for tonight.  I had almost all of the ingredients on hand and what I didn't have I could easily substitute something I did have. So, supper could be ready with no trip to the store.  It was as if the angels had spoken to me and told me to go ahead and make it.


                                        Brazilian Pork Chops In Orange Sauce

4 pork chops
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1/4 cup raisins

Rinse chops and pat dry with a paper towel.  Mix all the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Put the oil in the bottom of a skillet and bring it to a sizzle. Rub the spice mixture on both sides of the chops and brown in the hot oil, turning to brown the other side.  Remove the chops fro m the pan and add the diced onion.  Cook until wilted.   Remove the pan from the heat .  In a dutch oven or enamel cast iron pan with a lid pour the orange juice and the water.  Add the pork and the onions.  De glaze the browning pan with a couple of teaspoons of white wine and add that to the mixture. Simmer for an hour.  Add raisins and simmer another 20 minutes.

I have to give this mixed reviews.  The spice blend was superb.*  The smell and flavor it gave was really delicious.  I thought the long braising process was too much though.  I used pork steaks rather than chops because I had them in the fridge.  At the end of the cooking time they were beyond tender and were just a couple of minutes from falling apart.  I also thought the orange flavor was a little more intense than I would have preferred.  The raisins added nothing and looked kind of funny sitting on the pork.  To do it again I would probably put a couple of teaspoons of the seasonings in a baggie with 1/4 cup orange juice and the juice of a lime and marinate the chops for 30 minutes to an hour.  Then I would toss it on the grill and add  additional seasonings.

I will not make this as is, but I will make adjustments and grill it.  * It should be worth it just for the taste of the seasonings.  I have already blended a large batch  ( using garlic powder and dried ginger instead of fresh) to use as a rub for grilled pork.  The Pig carries ground lean pork and I think it would be great sprinkled on a patty for a pork burger or a rub for a smoked butt.  Will try and let you know.

Addition:  Son2 and I had the leftovers for lunch today and it was delicious.  Maybe this is one of those recipes that need to be made and refrigerated overnight then served the next day to be truly good.  Who knew?