Maple and mustard are a match made in heaven. Especially with pork.

I first have a confession to make: I have never liked pork chops. They just always seem boring to me – flavor is ho-hum, texture is dry and rubbery. But this recipe made me a believer: Sweet. Tangy. Moist. Delicious crust. The hubs, who actually is a pork chop fan, proclaimed as he feasted: “Best pork chop I have ever eaten.”

The nice thing about one pot meals is how low-maintenance they are. So easy to throw together and such easy cleanup. I am a huge fan of One Pot Wonders!

Bonus: this dish makes your whole house smell fabulous. My son came home just as this dish was ready to take out of the oven. He stopped, smiled, took a deep breath and said: “Wow.” Now that makes cooking worth it in my book.

This pork dish makes luscious leftovers, too. The chops become fork-tender as they cook, so they are a cinch to shred, reheat with barbecue sauce for pork sandwiches. And the root veggies can be made into a creamy mash with just a little cream. You just might want to have some of this dish leftover on purpose!

 

— posted by Donna

MAPLE MUSTARD PORK CHOPS AND ROOT VEGETABLES

Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes; Cook time 60 minutes

4 thick-cut pork chops or country style pork ribs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1 large parsnip, peeled
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup coarse grain mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Sprinkle both sides of pork lightly with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan. Add pork to pan in a single layer. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown. NOTE: pork will still be raw in the middle.

Remove pork from pan. Cut all vegetables into 2 inch chunks and put in skillet. Mix together the broth, 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and the Worcestershire sauce and stir into the vegetables in skillet. Place pork on top of vegetables.

Mix together the remaining 4 tablespoons of the maple syrup, mustard, molasses and paprika. Brush pork with sauce in a thick layer.

Cover and cook in oven for 20 minutes.

Uncover, turn pork over and brush another thick layer of mustard mixture on pork. Return to oven uncovered and cook for another 20 minutes. Brush another layer of mustard mixture on top of pork and return to oven for another 20 minutes or so, until pork is well browned.

Remove pork and vegetables to a serving platter. Place skillet on stove top over medium high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.  Mix together the corn starch and water and whisk into skillet. Whisk until liquid in skillet is thickened, about 2 minutes. Drizzle sauce over pork and vegetables and serve immediately.

More maple pork adventures:

Maple Mustard Pork Chops, Culinary Covers
One Dish Maple Pork, Cheeky Kitchen
Brown and Maple Sugar Pork Tenderloin, Slow Cooker from Scratch