Mexicali Pork Chops

Tonight's dinner was brought about by my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. This collection of recipes is like a childhood friend who never gets tiresome. I have a 1960's version that my mom gave me when I moved away from home and a late 1980's version that my mother-in-law gave Jeff when he moved away from home. It must be a rite of passage, somehow. I can see it now, after my son graduates from college and strikes out completely on his own, I'll probably hand him a 2017 copy sporting its classic red and white checkered cover and a sappy inscription on the title page. Maybe I'll go through the book and write in all the little notes my mom (and I) jotted in mine. For example, on page 90 the directions for "Blue Ribbon Fudge" have been altered to use cocoa powder and milk instead of unsweetened chocolate squares. At the end of the recipe is a note about adding peanut butter instead of chopped walnuts, and lower on the page the temperature and test for soft ball stage are carefully circled. All these little tips are meant to aid the first-time and well-seasoned candy maker alike.

I find that when I am non-plussed by my dinner choices, this BH&G book always does the trick. I can find something as basic as white sauce directions (printed on the inside back cover) to many-ingredient casseroles, and crowning achievements like a Parmesan soufflé or baked Alaska. So this afternoon, I turned once again to this mainstay of my cook book collection. The weather turned rainy and unseasonably cool today (only 60 degrees), which called for something hot and spicy in the oven. Thus, Mexicali Pork Chops (which I had never made before) became the dish of choice (and a good choice it was, if I do say so myself).

The dish begins by browning pork chops on the stove top, and then removing them to create a sauce out of bell peppers, onions, diced tomatoes, green chilies, corn, and kidney beans. After adding some chipotle sauce, water and rice, the mixture goes into a large casserole dish, is topped with the pork chops, covered, and baked in the oven.

At the end of 45 minutes, the house smelled of simmering vegetables and tender pork. The spicy aroma of peppers wafted through the kitchen into my office practically pulling me toward the oven as the timer beeped. The guys and I were rewarded for our patience with piping hot goodness that soothed our souls and warmed us from the inside out. The entire dish was pretty, too, with the pork chops resting atop a colorful bed of red tomatoes, green chilies, and white kidney beans. As usual, though, there are a couple of things I'll change next time around. First, the kidney beans became a little mushy for my taste, and I think black beans would fare better in the oven. The pork chops could have been cut into bite-sized pieces and mixed into the whole thing, as well. This would be a good idea for leftovers and would work as well with chicken, too.

Overall, my stalwart friend saved dinner once again. Now, to make a few notes on the page...