PORK CHOPS IN ORANGE SAUCE

When I planned my menus for the month I had written pork chops for the other night.  I knew I had two pork chops in the freezer (with all my baked goods I have frozen) and figured I could find a way to cook them in one of my cookbooks.  The first one I looked in, 2009 Taste of Home Annual Recipes , had a recipe for pork chops in orange sauce.  The title sounded interesting, and so did the picture.  I checked for the ingredients, and yes, I had everything.  It called for 4 pork chops, but I decided I would make it and just have extra sauce. The only thing was it called for whole cloves and my husband doesn't like cloves in any form.  I decided I would make it and just leave them out....afterall, that's what I do when recipes call for onions and peppers unless I know I won't be eating it. Well, my recommendation to you is don't leave out the cloves.

PORK CHOPS IN ORANGE SAUCE

1/2   teaspoon paprika

1/2   teaspoon pepper

4   boneless pork loin chops

3/4   cup orange juice

2   tablespoon sugar

6   whole cloves

  1/2   teaspoon grated orange peel

2   tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4   cup cold water

Combine the paprika and pepper, rub over both sides of the pork chops.

In a large skillet, brown both sides of the pork chops over medium heat.

Combine the orange juice, sugar, cloves, and peel.  Pour over pork chops. 

 Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until meat juices run clear.

Remove pork chops and keep warm.  In a small bowl, combine the flour and water and whisk until smooth,

then stir in cooking juices.

Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. 

 (I know the picture is blurred....sorry...the gravy mixture was getting thick fast and it was hard to try to take a picture with one hand and stir with the other....so I had lumps.....on no!)

TIP ALERT! 

If you have lumps when making gravy, pour the gravy into a small bowl and whisk until they dissolve.  If you are making a larger amount of gravy, you can put the gravy in a blender and "blend" out the lumps.  (I got most of the lumps out with the whisk.)

Discard cloves.  Serve over the pork chops.

I increased the amount of paprika and pepper needed for the recipe.  The amount in the original recipe would not have been enough for 4 pork chops.  I also reduced the cooking time from the original recipe.