Pork Chops with Gingersnap Gravy

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick for this nostalgic food funny:

Grandpa was always going on about the good old days and the
lower cost of living. "When I was a kid," he told us once, "my mom
sent me to the store, and I'd get a salami, two pints of milk, six
oranges, two loaves of bread and a magazine, some new shoes
and socks, and all I'd pay was 3 dollars." Then Grandpa sighed
and said sadly, "You can't do that anymore - they've got those
darn video cameras everywhere you look."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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I have done "favorite ingredient" themes about a dozen times since
the first one in October, 2001. I have done olive oil, butter, garlic,
cheese (twice), whole grains, beef, chicken, cream, citrus fruits,
spices, nuts, and a few others, but for some strange reason I have
never done a favorite ingredients theme based on pork. What was
I thinking? Pork is not only my favorite meat, it's the world's favorite
too, representing about 41 percent of total meat production worldwide.
(Beef is second at about 31 percent, and chicken is third at about
24 percent.) So here, straight from our It's About Time department,
is the lineup for "Favorite Ingredients - Pork":

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Entree
Pork Chops with Gingersnap Gravy
[Ham Steak with Apple Cider Sauce]

Tuesday's Entree
Pork Tenderloin Tandoori
[Chicago-Style Kielbasa]

Wednesday's Entree
Garlic Roasted Pork Loin
[Caribbean Braised Pork with Cutrus]

Thursday's Entree
Ham Hash
[Chinese-Style Spareribs]

Friday's Entree
Roast Leg of Pork
[Black Bean and Sausage Stew]

Most people tend to over cook pork in the mistaken belief that only
well-done pork is safe to eat. Cooking it to an internal temperature
of 145F (63C) not only kills the nasty little parasites, but results in
juicy, slightly pink meat, just the way I like it.

Pork Chops with Gingersnap Gravy

4-6 center-cut pork chops about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) beef or chicken stock
1 Tbs (15 ml) cider vinegar
1/4 tsp (1 ml) dried thyme
1/4 cup (125 ml) crumbled gingersnaps

Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat
the oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat and fry the pork
chops until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
Reduce the heat and cook covered for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the
internal temperature is between 145F (63C) and 160F (70C). Remove
the chops and keep warm in a warm oven. Add the onion and celery
to the skillet and saute over moderate heat until tender but not brown,
about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring
frequently, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of heavy
cream. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately. Serves
4 to 6.
Received on Mon Nov 27 06:22:30 2006