In situations like these, you find yourself wanting to take the easy way out, because cooking a full meal means more work. Well, that's usually the case, but today I had my mind on some "cowboy" pork chops that I had recently acquired and wanted to be creative with. Despite what one would think, pork is probably one of the easiest things to cook, especially if you pair it with simple items. Tonight, we baked potatoes and garnished with sauteed onions and mushrooms, but I'm getting ahead of myself. . .
A "cowboy" cut is, simply, a rib-eye style pork chop, cut straight off the rack with the bone left in. It is usually thicker than your average pork chop, and very well marbled. They are excellent grilled or fried, but when you want to take the easy route, baking is the way to go.
Now, the guidelines on what is "done" have changed a bit for pork, but they are pretty straightforward. As I mentioned in "Cooking for Adventurers", it is impossible to tell by sight alone whether or not your protein has been thoroughly cooked; for that, you need a meat thermometer. For pork, it must be cooked to an internal temperature of 145° and allowed to rest for three minutes. You might prefer to cook it to a higher temperature, as this could still leave a bit of a pinkish cast to the meat, but that is entirely your call. Pork chops usually are done within 20 minutes if baked at 450°, but these chops are quite large, and I have allotted more cook time.
Tonight's meal also calls for the use of a dry rub. I used a grilling blend that I normally reserve for red meats but, as I said, I wanted to get creative. Here's what I did tonight:
COWBOY PORK CHOPS
- 1 Cowboy chop for everyone in your group
- 1 Large onion, cut into petals
- 6 oz. fresh mushrooms (or 1 can, drained)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- Seasoned pepper (to taste)
- Dry rub of your choice (try 1 Tbsp. each of Garlic powder, Onion powder, and Black pepper with 2 Tsp. Cayenne and Sea salt)
- Barbeque sauce (approx. 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
- 6-8 oz. any type of beer
Heat oven to 450°. Rub chops with one Tbsp. olive oil, then massage in a generous amount of dry rub. Arrange on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes.
Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan, then cook onions, stirring constantly, until they just start to become tender. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute for about another two minutes. Add beer to the pan and sprinkle with seasoned pepper. Reduce heat just enough to keep the beer simmering, energetically. The goal is to just about cook off all the juices. If you're really good, you'll time this just so as to finish the garnish at the same time as the pork chops!
Take the chops out of the oven at the 20 minute mark, but leave the oven on. Coat chops on the top and sides with barbecue sauce and put them back in the oven to cook for 12 minutes more.
And that's basically it! Like I said, we went with baked potatoes to go along with them, but the plate could just as easily be finished out with baked or sauteed veg. How complex you want to be is entirely your choice.
Meals fit for adventurers do not have to be complex, nor do they have to take up your entire day in the preparation. Don't forget to subscribe to the email list (the link is off to the right) so you don't miss any of my frequently infrequent posts. While you're at it, you can visit the Cooking for Adventurers FB fan page here, and you can even pop over to the store at Copper Island Makerspace's website and buy my book! You will help feed the starving author, obtain a valuable learning tool, and help pave the way for my next couple of books, "With Great Food Comes Great Responsibility"
and "AAAAAIIIGGGH! and Other Noises your Electrician Shouldn't Make".
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