Pumpkin Pork Chops Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PUMPKIN-BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Cut pork into large chunks. Place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, fennel seeds, rosemary, and shallots. Mix thoroughly and cover pork with parchment paper. Refrigerate to let flavors develop, 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Add flour to pork and mix to coat. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork in 2 batches until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
• Insert the tip of a knife at a 45-degree angle into the top half of the pumpkin. Slowly cut all the way around to remove the 'lid'. Scrape seeds and fibers off the bottom of the lid and inside of the pumpkin using a large spoon or ice cream scoop.
• Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper and place pumpkin on top. Stuff the pumpkin with the browned pork; pour in cider. Cover with the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pork is very tender, about 4 hours. Pour in a little more cider after a few hours in the oven, since a lot of it evaporates. Remove from the oven and let rest; brush pumpkin with some of the rendered fat from the bottom of the pan.
• Scoop pork onto serving plates and cut out pieces of pumpkin to serve alongside. Combine remaining rendered fat with cooking liquid from inside the pumpkin. Let sauce rest for a few minutes so you can skim off most of the fat. Spoon sauce over the pork.

PECAN-CRUSTED PORK WITH PUMPKIN BUTTER

Steps:

• Whisk together pumpkin puree, apple juice, sugar, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon in a saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the mixture has reached the consistency of applesauce. About 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pulse pecans and bread crumbs in a food processor until the pecans are finely chopped. Pour into a shallow dish, and press pork chops into the mixture to coat.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breaded pork chops and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve the pork chops with a dollop of pumpkin butter.

PUMPKIN-PORK STEW

Steps:

• In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, shake flour and 1/2 teaspoon each of the garlic-pepper blend and salt until mixed. Add pork to bag; shake to coat.
• In 5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add coated pork; cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is white with golden brown edges. Discard any remaining flour mixture.
• Stir in pumpkin, broth, chiles in adobo, oregano, bay leaf and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each garlic-pepper blend and salt. Heat to boiling, scraping browned bits off bottom of Dutch oven. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes, scraping bottom of Dutch oven occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Stir in squash and green beans. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in bell pepper. Cover; simmer 5 to 7 minutes longer or until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.

PUMPKIN PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl; mix pumpkin, honey, Lawry's, red pepper flakes, ginger, allspice, cider vinegar, broth, and celery.
• Melt and spread the butter in an 8X11 glass baking dish then place pork chops in it.
• Pour pumpkin mix over the chops.
• Bake chops for 30 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

SPICY PUMPKIN PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Season the pork chops generously on one side with salt and freshly ground black pepper; set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic infused oil and when hot, place chops with seasoned side down; season the top side with salt and pepper. Cook until brown and then place them on a baking sheet. Transfer the pork chops to a 200ºF preheated oven to keep them warm while making the sauce.
• Return the skillet on medium heat and add clarified butter. When hot, add onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in chicken broth and then pumpkin purée; stir to combine.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add sriracha, Herbes de Provence, pumpkin pie spice, ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and heavy cream; stir and bring the mixture back to a simmer, about 2 minutes.
• Spoon sauce over pork chops and put any extra sauce in a small bowl or ramekin. Makes 4 servings.

MAPLE-GLAZED PORK CHOPS WITH PUMPKIN POLENTA

Steps:

• For the polenta: Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sage to the oil and cook until the sage is slightly crisped, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, put the broth and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta, reduce the heat to low, and cook, whisking occasionally, until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Pull the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the pumpkin, sage with the oil, cheese, salt, and pepper. Hold in a warm place.
• For the pork chops: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dry the pork chops well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Lay the chops in the pan and cook until lightly browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. Turn the chops and cook until the second side is browned and the chops are cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the chops to a platter.
• Pour off the excess oil from the pan. Add the vinegar, and return the pan to the heat and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that cling to the pan. Stir in the mustard, maple syrup, and chicken broth, along with any juices from the pork chops. Cook over high heat until the mixture is syrupy, about 5 minutes. Season to taste.
• Serve the pork chops with the pumpkin polenta and drizzle with the sauce.

GRILLED PUMPKIN BBQ-GLAZED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• For the pumpkin bbq sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and transluscent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ketchup, pumpkin puree, broth, sugar, syrup, vinegar, chili powder, Worcestershire, garlic powder, smoked paprika, pumpkin pie spice, salt and pepper and whisk well to combine. Bring to a low simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let cook until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. If it begins to look too thick, add a few tablespoons of water or broth.
• For the pork chops: Preheat a grill or grill pan for cooking over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Brush the chops on each side with vegetable oil and grill, 4 minutes per side. Baste the pork chops on each side with the sauce and grill an additional minute per side to allow the sauce to caramelize. Serve the chops with extra sauce.

MAPLE PORK CHOPS WITH PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt margarine in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Cook pork in margarine 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Remove pork from skillet; brush both sides with maple flavoring.
• Add rice and garlic to skillet. Cook over medium heat 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Stir in pumpkin and 1/2 cup of the broth. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed. Stir in an additional 1/2 cup broth. Continue cooking about 15 minutes, stirring constantly and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time after previous additions have been absorbed.
• Add pork and any remaining broth to skillet. Cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes or until pork is slightly pink when cut near bone and rice is creamy and just tender. Stir in cheese and salt.

PORK CHOPS IN PIPIAN

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Remove the stems from the chiles de árbol, and gently roll the chiles between your fingers to remove the seeds. Discard seeds. Set a bare skillet over high heat for 5 minutes, then add the chiles. Toast until they are darkened and fragrant, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Place them in a bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling or very hot water, and set aside to soak.
• Return the skillet to high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred, approximately 10 minutes. Put the vegetables on a plate, and set aside to cool, then slip the skins off the cloves of garlic.
• Return the skillet to medium-low heat. Place the pumpkin seeds, peanuts and sesame seeds in the skillet, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until they are toasted and fragrant, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Put the seeds and nuts in a bowl, and stir in the cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
• Put the chiles and soaking liquid in a blender with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, the nut-seed mixture and the chipotle. Purée until smooth.
• Add the oil, lard or chicken fat to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the purée. It will sputter a lot. Lower the heat, and stir, cooking the mixture down to a thick paste. It will continue to sputter and pop. Add the broth to the paste, and stir, then season with the salt, sugar and vinegar, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until it resembles a thick, creamy soup. Lower heat to a bare simmer.
• Make the pork chops: Season the pork chops aggressively with salt and pepper, and dust them with the flour. Add the oil to the skillet, and heat over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Add the chops, and let them cook undisturbed, in batches if necessary, until crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Set them aside to rest for 5 minutes or so. Serve a chop per person on a generous amount of sauce, with tortillas to mop it up. Extra sauce can be used to braise chicken, lamb or more pork, or as a topping for enchiladas.

PORK CHOPS AND SQUASH WITH PUMPKIN SEED VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread out pumpkin seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toast, tossing once, until just beginning to darken, about 4 minutes. Let cool. Coarsely chop; set aside.
• Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast squash, turning occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 35-40 minutes.
• When squash has been roasting for 30 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper and cook until brown, 5-8 minutes. Turn over and cook until pork is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
• Whisk garlic, 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, reserved toasted pumpkin seeds, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small bowl to combine. Season vinaigrette with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired.
• Divide squash and pork among plates; spoon vinaigrette over. Top with cilantro leaves.