What? Pork Chops Again?! and Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Kroger has 8-ounce packs of cream cheese ten for $10, or $1.00 each. I don’t think you have to buy ten to get that price. Butter is two pounds for $5.00, or $2.50 a pound. Chicken drumsticks, thighs, and whole fryers are 99 cents a pound. That’s not a great price unless you specifically want whole birds or just the thighs, but it’s not bad if you do. “Crisp broccoli” is three for $5.00, or $1.67 each. Unfortunately, it doesn’t say how big the “crisp broccoli” is, so there’s no way of knowing whether it’s a good price. I sure wish they would be more precise with their descriptions. Eggplants are 99 cents each and green beans are 99 cents a pound. It’s making me think of summer produce at the Farmers Market! Check the eggplant to be sure it’s fresh. If it is, and it’s a reasonable size, that’s a good price. Sweet potatoes are 99 cents a pound, too. Whole cantaloupe are two for $3.00, or $1.50 each. These prices are good through next Wednesday, April 9.

Marsh has red, white, and black seedless grapes and red grapes with seeds for $1.47 a pound. Family pack assorted pork chops are 99 cents a pound. And fresh tomatoes are 97 cents a pound. These prices are good through next Wednesday, April 9.

Aldi has strawberries for $1.49 a pound. Anjou pears are $1.49 for a two pound bag, or 75 cents a pound. Pineapples are $1.49 each and mangoes are 69 cents each. Fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.69 a pound in family packs. These prices are good through next Tuesday, April 8.

IGA has fresh fryer leg quarters in family packs for 59 cents a pound through Sunday, April 6. Dole Classic Iceberg Salad and Classic Coleslaw Mix are both 99 cents for a 12-14 ounce bag, but only on Friday, April 4. Large eggs are 99 cents a dozen, but again only on Friday.

Do you remember the column a few weeks ago when I talked about buying herbs and spices and gave recipes for three very different yet very similar fish soups? They all had fish, tomatoes, onions and green pepper, but the seasonings made them very different. I’m going to do something sort of similar this week. I’m going to start by talking generally about different seasonings for pork chops, and then will give the regular three recipes or so for pork chops and menus using them. Sometimes you don’t need a new recipe as much as you just need a new idea for varying an old standby with some new seasonings.

Herbs and spices that go well with pork.

Fruit that goes well with pork.

Vegetables that go well with pork.

Sauces that go well with pork.

I haven’t given any recipes yet, but I hope there’s something here that made a light bulb go off for you. While I don’t think you can get away with serving pork chops every night by just changing the seasoning, sometimes all it takes is a small change to make something acceptable instead of boring.

OK, now for some recipes and menus. The first recipe, creatively titled PORK CHOPS, is seasoned with tiny amounts of several Indian seasonings. Be sure to buy them in tiny little dabs at Bloomingfoods and not in the jars or cans at a traditional grocery store.

The pork chops themselves are going to cost about $2.00. Let’s say 25 cents for the smidgeons of spices - it only comes to a total of one teaspoon. If you use drippings, they’re free. If you use vegetable oil, it will cost less than 10 cents. Let’s call it $2.35 altogether. That’s so cheap you can spend more than usual on side dishes.

The original recipe says to serve it with applesauce (in fact, the original name is Pork Chops and Applesauce), so let’s go with that. You want unsweetened applesauce, and not very much of it – only about a cup, or a fourth of a cup per person. Let’s say 50 cents for the applesauce. Sweet potatoes would be good. Two pounds would allow an 8-ounce sweet potato per person. Just bake the sweet potatoes in the skins; they don’t need any butter or anything else. Add coleslaw or other cabbage salad for about a dollar and you’ve got a hearty meal for under $6.00, or $1.50 per person.

This next recipe, EASY MUSTARD PORK CHOPS, is super easy. The author describes it as a recipe for those days when just getting dinner on the table seems like more than you can do. We all have those days, don’t we?

The only significant cost here is the pork chops, which will run you about $2.00. The mustard, garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper won’t cost more than a dime.

If getting supper on the table is almost more than you can manage, you definitely won’t be spending any extra time on the side dishes. How about a couple cans of green beans ($1.00), half a head of lettuce cut in wedges (50 cents), two tablespoons of salad dressing per person or half a cup total (50 cents), with half a cantaloupe for dessert (90 cents). The whole meal can be prepared in less than half an hour for a cost of right about $5.00 or $1.25 per person, and no one will guess that it was that cheap and easy. Or have some broccoli instead of the green beans. It’s still well under $6.00.

The final pork chop recipe for SMOKEY CACAO NIBS ENCRUSTED PORK CHOPS. And just what are cacao nibs, you ask? Nibs are bits of cacao seeds that have been processed almost but not quite to the point of being ground for cocoa powder or made into chocolate bars.

I have to admit that I’m just guessing at the cost of the cacao nibs and smoked paprika. I haven’t bought them or checked the price in a long time. I’m going to guess about a dollar for the two of them. I think that’s probably high, but I don’t know. Let’s use that as an estimate anyway. The pork chops will run $2.00, the bacon grease would be free if you have it, or the butter would run about 35 cents. So let’s say $3.35 for the whole thing.

The picture on the blog shows the pork chops served with a baked sweet potato and something that I can’t identify. A pound and a half of sweet potatoes (six ounces per person, or about three-fourths cup) will cost $1.50, which leaves us $1.15 for something else. How about some fresh green beans (a little over half a cup of cooked beans per person) or, depending on how big the packages are, some fresh broccoli. Either way you should stay at right around $6.00, or $1.50 per person.

An old standby when it comes to sauce for pork chops (or just about anything else) is Campbell's Cream of Something Soup - Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken especially, but also Cream of Asparagus, Cream of Celery, Cream of Onion, etc. A can is likely to cost at least $1.00 and, like all processed foods, be full of chemicals and stuff that you don't really need. CREAM OF WHATEVER SOUP MIX makes a substitute for those cans of soup. (I guess recipes these days don't call for Campbell's soups as much as they used to. Back in about the 1960s, practically everything called for either jello or Campbell's soup. Usually not in the same recipe.)

And finally, a couple of recipes for pork seasoning mixes. You can make them up ahead of time and have them ready the next time you’re cooking pork chops, or other pork dishes.

PORK SEASONING MIX #1

MAGIC DUST SEASONING BLEND

Pork Chops, and the Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

IGA has family packs of sirloin pork chops for 99 cents a pound. Select varieties of chunk cheese are $2.99 a pound (which is $1.50 for eight ounces, a common size for chunk cheeses). Select varieties of shredded cheese are three eight ounce packages for $5.00, or $1.67 for eight ounces or $3.34 per pound. “Bunched” broccoli and brunched cauliflower are both two for $4.00 or $2.00 each. I’m not sure what “bunched” means, and whether it’s a good price depends on how big they are. Tomatoes on the Vine are $1.99 a pound. IGA pasta is 88 cents a pound and 24-ounce cans of IGA pasta sauce are 88 cents each. These prices are good through next Sunday, March 2.

Marsh has strawberries, three one-pound boxes for $5.00, or $1.67 a pound. Not great, but better than they have been. Green or white asparagus (white asparagus is just green asparagus that was kept covered while it was growing so it didn’t turn green) is $1.77 a pound. Ground chuck is $2.79 a pound in the family packs. Whole boneless pork loins are $1.99 a pound. They average about six to nine pounds each, and Marsh will slice them for you for free. Sugardale hams are advertised for 69 cents a pound, but they were out of them last week and not giving rain checks, so don’t make a special trip without calling first. “Vine ripe” or Roma tomatoes are $1.49 a pound. 32-ounce (two pound) bags of frozen vegetables (the picture showed peas and green beans) are two for $5.00, or $2.50 each, or $1.25 a pound. These prices are good through next Wednesday, March 5.

Aldi’s best buys are, as usual, on produce. Avocados are 69 cents each. Roma tomatoes are 99 cents for 20 ounces, or 80 cents a pound. Grapefruit are 39 cents each. Bananas are 44 cents a pound. Cantaloupe are $1.89 each. If you like Mexican food, you might want to check out their ad at www.aldi.com. They have a lot of things advertised for making Mexican food, but I don’t know how good the prices for most things are. Just because they’re in the ad doesn’t mean that the price is anything special. These prices are good through next Tuesday, March 4.

Kroger has “medium size” fresh pineapple ten for $10.00, or $1.00 each. Asparagus is $1.28 a pound. Sour cream is ten 16 ounce (pint) cartons for $10.00, or $1.00 each. These prices are good through next Wednesday, March 5.

The pork chops are a good price this week, and they’re one of my favorite foods, so let’s work with them again. Don’t forget the other recipes for pork chops that have been posted here, too - 

Pork Chops (with Indian Seasonings)

Easy Mustard Pork Chops

Smokey Cacao Nibs Encrusted Pork Chops

Steamed Pork Chops

Pork Chops Bakes with Cabbage and Cream

Maple Mustard Baked Pork Chops

Mustardy Pork Chops with Apples and Onions

And hints for what goes well with pork -

Fruit
Vegetables
Herbs and Spices
Sauces

Sometimes I regret saying that I wouldn’t include “fillers” like potatoes and rice and such in my menus. Not because they’re cheap and make it easier to come up with complete meals at $1.50 or less per serving (which of course they are and they do), but because they go so well with some things. This recipe for CREAMY HERBED PORK CHOPS is an example. With all that gravy, mashed potatoes or rice would be great with it. But it’s not necessary! But it would be good. Sigh. 

Four pork chops plus the gravy should come to about $3.20. Serve it with a pound of the frozen peas ($1.25), a few sliced Roma tomatoes for color (60 cents for twelve ounces), and half a cantaloupe for dessert (95 cents) and you’ve got a big meal for $6.00, or $1.50 per person. Or have the pork chops and gravy plus a pound and a half of asparagus ($1.95 – you may need less, depending on how much of the stem you have to cut off), half a pound of sliced Roma tomatoes (40 cents) and half a pineapple (50 cents) for $6.05, which is just a nickel over my goal of $6.00 to serve four people. Use COPYCAT MONTREAL STEAK SEASONING to help keep the cost down - and so you don't have to buy a big jar of the seasoning when you just need a teaspoon. You can make a lot of different seasoning blends from just a few basic herbs and spices and really cut back on what you spend for seasonings.

I don’t cook with flour or breadcrumbs, so when I want to bread something I usually use either fine pork rind crumbs (I give them a whirl in my food processor until they’re very fine, though you could probably just put them in a plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin. If you don’t have a rolling pin, a large round bottle works well. A wine bottle is just about the right size. It’s best if it’s full. If not, fill it with water so it has the extra weight. Just make sure it’s tightly corked! This works for making pie crust, too. Use ice water in the bottle, or chilled wine, when making pie crust. The chill of the bottle will help make your pie crust flaky.) or almond flour or coconut flour or just use all cheese. PARMESAN AND SAGE CRUSTED PORK CHOPS uses the traditional/normal way of breading pork chops with flour and bread crumbs, and adds some parmesan cheese to the mixture. The original recipe makes a point of using the real imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and fresh sage, but regular parmesan and dried sage will work, too, and cost a lot less.

The pork chops themselves are $2.00, and another 40 cents for the cheese (at Aldi, five ounces for $1.99), so let’s say $3.00 total for the four chops with breading and all. Cook a package of broccoli until it’s not quite done and then finish it off in the skillet, where it should pick up all the pan juices and nice crusty bits from the bottom of the skillet. I’m assuming you’ll use the whole package, though I don’t know how big the packages of “bunched” broccoli are. Finish up with either half a cantaloupe (95 cents) or a pineapple ($1.00). Or have some sliced tomatoes with the pork chops and broccoli instead of having fruit for dessert. Or have a pound and a half of asparagus instead of the broccoli. Or a pound of the frozen veggies instead of the broccoli, and you can have tomatoes with the meal and still have fruit for dessert.

Another way to fry pork chops or other meat is to coat the meat with mustard and let the mustard act as the “glue” that makes the flour stick to the meat, instead of using egg to do that. This recipe for SPICY MUSTARD PORK CHOPS does that.  This will come to about $2.75 or so, maybe a bit less depending on how much the flour costs. For some reason, I’m thinking a green salad would go well with this. How about half a head of iceberg lettuce, a tomato or two, some bits of broccoli and cauliflower, and some ranch dressing. Or whatever kind of dressing you prefer. A homemade oil and vinegar dressing with some extra mustard would be good. The salad should run about $1.00. Pick one of the frozen veggies from Marsh, for $1.25 for a pound. Green beans go well with pork, though I don’t much care for the taste of frozen green beans. That brings us to $5.00 for the pork chops, salad and a hot vegetable. You could leave it at that and have an extra dollar to spend on another meal sometime, or you could add half a cantaloupe (95 cents) or a whole pineapple ($1.00).

Cajun Turkey Seasoning

(bbq.about.com)

4 T salt

4 T onion powder

2 T garlic powder

2 T red pepper flakes

2 T paprika

1 T ground oregano

Mix ingredients together. Rub over the surface of the turkey (or, in our case, chicken), inside and out. Try to work the rub in under the skin. Let sit for about two hours before cooking. Can be used on all poultry (like chicken leg quarters) no matter how it’s prepared, but the recipe comes from the bbq page of the site. Store in a cool dark place.

Moroccan Rub

(parade.condenast.com)

1 T ground cumin

1 T paprika

1 t onion powder

2 t turmeric

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of garlic powder

1 T dried parsley

2 t dried coriander

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Mix all ingredients. Store in a cool, dark place. Use within three months. Use on chicken, beef and fish.

Magic Dust Seasoning Mix

(from a recipe at about.com)

1/2 cup paprika

1/4 cup kosher salt, finely ground (or regular table salt)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons mustard powder

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

1/4 cup granulated garlic

2 tablespoons cayenne

Mix all ingredients and store in a tightly covered container. Keep in a shaker next to the stove and use on meats. Keeps indefinitely.

Pork Seasoning Mix #1

(from a recipe at foodnetwork.com)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in a cool dark cupboard.

Pork Chops and Herbs

First, herbs and spices that go well with pork. Just about everything, actually! Think of all the different cuisines that use pork, and the different seasonings that each uses. Chinese. Mexican. German. Italian. Thai. French. English. And many more. They have each found a way to use their traditional seasonings with pork.

Here’s a partial list that I combined from half a dozen web sites. Basil, bay leaf, caraway seeds, chili peppers, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry powder, dill, fennel, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, lemon grass, lemon juice, lime juice, mint, mustard, onions, orange juice, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, pickle juice, rosemary, sage, savory, shallots, soy sauce, star anise, thyme, turmeric, and Worcestershire sauce. The ones that were mentioned most often were cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fennel, garlic (I think everyone mentioned garlic), ginger, rosemary, sage, shallots, soy sauce, and thyme. And salt and pepper, of course.

So what do you do with this list? Well, the next time you make plain old pork chops, try adding a different herb. Maybe marinate them first in a mixture of juice (lemon, lime or orange) and an herb or two. Some combinations you might not have thought of include:

Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, with or without some orange juice

Apple juice, cinnamon and cloves

Chipotle peppers, cumin and tomatoes

Mustard, caraway seeds and sauerkraut

Chili peppers, cilantro, garlic, lime and peanuts

Lemon and/or lime and/or orange juice with garlic

Apple juice, shallots, garlic, ginger and soy sauce

Lemongrass, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, shallots and lime juice

Copycat Montreal Steak Seasoning

(chow.com)

2 T paprika

2 T crushed black pepper (or coarsely ground)

1 T kosher salt

1 T garlic powder (not garlic salt)

1 T onion powder (not onion salt)

1 T crushed coriander

1 T dill

1T crushed red pepper flakes

Mix it all up and store it in a glass container in a cool, dry, dark place. 

Chili Seasoning

(based on a recipe at food.com)

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons dried onion (or 2 teaspoons onion powder)
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon dried garlic (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Herbs, Spices, Rubs and Seasoning Blends

Chili Seasoning

Copycat Montreal Steak Seasoning

How to Buy Herbs and Spices

Magic Dust Seasoning Blend

Onion Soup Mix

Pork and Herbs

Pork Seasoning Mix #1