NEW ORLEANS —
Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops: What you'll need
For the Pork Chops:
- 2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 8 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 Tbsp. peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 boneless pork loin chops (3 pounds total)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- Creole seasoning
For the Bourbon-Molasses Glaze:
- 3/4 cup molasses, Steen’s or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 2 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. white sugar
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- Two 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained
How to put it all together
Pork Chops:
Bring orange juice, brown sugar, salt, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and 6 cups water to a simmer in a large pot. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature. Add pork and brine 12 hours.
Remove pork from brine and rinse under cold water. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Season with Creole seasoning.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork, in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 140°F, 4 to 6 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve drizzled with Bourbon-Molasses Glaze.
Glaze:
Combine molasses, apple cider vinegar, and rosemary in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 2/3 cup, 12 to 15 minutes.
Whisk in butter and bourbon; continue to cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
Black-Eyed Pea Salad
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, oil, Creole seasoning, sugar, garlic, and salt.
Toss all together with the black-eyed peas and let marinate for at up to 8 hours in the refrigerator before serving.