Pork Chops with a Jamaican twist garnished with Caramelized Onion in Port Sauce

I love relaxed weekends at home with Jazz music playing on the stereo as I work my way through the evening. Cooking is my passion as a few would know and I love experiments, not like a scientist (like Heston Blumenthal who is such an inspiration though), I'm more like a painter or a sculptor and just go with my gut and emotions. I'am a sensual person by nature and I believe food is an art where all the sense have such an important role to play. Enough ranting though, I want to share with you what I made last weekend and all of these recipes are my own, like I said I just follow my feelings. There are many other times though that you need inspiration and need to follow a recipe to the T to get the perfect dish out. Let's get on with the Ingredients and the process:)

Pork Chops Jamaican twist

Ingredients:

Pork chops, about eight of them washed and patted dry

1/2 tbsp Garlic Paste

1/2 tbsp Thyme (I used dry but if you've fresh ones, I'd recommend that)

1 tbsp Jamaican spice mix (try any gourmet store- like Nature's basket)

1/2 tbsp Paprika Powder

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt 

Pepper

Method:

Place the chops flat on your baking dish and sprinkle salt and pepper on one side. Pat them in.

Rub half the garlic paste on this side. Sprinkle the thyme, the Jamaican Spice mix and the paprika and pat all in well to make sure you've coated well. Use half of all the ingredients listed above as you'll have to repeat the same on the other side. 

Keep it aside for an hour or more if you like

Preheat the oven at 220 degrees c.

Now, brush each side with the olive oil and pop into the oven for an hour.

After half an hour turn the chops onto the other side.

Once the 1 hour is over, reduce temperature to 180 degrees c and cook for another half hour.

The internal temperature should be about 145 degrees.

Now, let's get on with the Sauce, shall we!

Caramelized Onion in Port Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced Onions

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (go crazy here, I used button)

1/2 cup port wine

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp corn starch

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 cup water

1 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste (I used half a tsp of pepper as I like the heat cutting thru the sweetness of the wine, the onion and honey)

Method:

Take about 3 tbsp of the beautiful aromatic oil from your chops tray (this will be the excess that comes out of the meat) and pour over a hot cast iron pan or a heavy bottom pan at medium heat.

 

Put in the onion and fry till slightly golden.

Now, add the garlic powder with the mushrooms into the pan. Maintain heat at medium- high.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and then the wine. Let the alcohol evaporate.

Now add the honey.Mix the corn starch and water and pour it in. When in comes to a boil, add the butter, garlic and salt. Taste to check.

Add seasoning if necessary.Sauce is ready for the meat!

 

I served this with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes. Ummm heaven!!

For the grilled vegetables, just cut big chunks of colorful lovely veggies like broccoli, zucchini, baby corns, bell peppers, beans and whole cherry tomatoes or golden nuggets, throw in a good 8-9 crushed garlic with their jackets on. Sprinkle some rosemary, salt, pepper and drizzled with olive oil and baked for an hour at 180- 200 degrees c.

And voila! Isn't that dandy!?