Pork Chops and Rice

This recipe falls in the everyday food category of my family cookbook. It was a bi-weekly meal in my home growing up. It is the only recipe my father would cook if my mother was late from work. To this day, my father still requests this meal for his birthday or father’s day. If you ask me the celery rice is the best part. The pork chops are great too. They will be golden brown when you remove the skillet from the oven. Now the pork is the item that is debated in the family. Dear sister likes thin crispy pork loin chops. Dad likes bone-in pork chops cooked just right. I have to say there is something nice about both. The point is any chop you buy for this recipe will be delicious. If you like moist pork go for a thicker chop or a bone-in chop. Today I used a boneless loin chop and I browned it well on one side. Then flipped them over and turned off the heat. When arranging the pork chops over the rice I put the brown side down. This is how Mom prefers to cook this dish. See this is a very flexible recipe.

Oh I almost forgot! Dad's favorite side with this dish is field peas. Now for me, this is a starch with a starch. Too much of a good thing. But I have yet to come up with a veggie that has been deemed a suitable substitute for him. I think a green salad or some sauteed greens is great. Maybe you can make some suggestions.

Pork Chops and Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil

1-1/2 lbs pork chops (bone-in or boneless)

1 cup rice, dry

1/2 to 1 bunch celery, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

Kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and/or Cajun seasoning to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Season both sided of pork chops with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Brown both sides of seasoned pork chops in an oven safe skillet in a little healthy oil. Remove pork chops and turn off heat. Add dry rice in a thin layer. Top with celery then pork chops. Pour chicken broth over everything. Bake for 1 hour or until rice is fluffy. Depending on your oven it may be more like 1.5 hours.

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