Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno Glazed Pork Chops

Ive always been a big fan of sweet and spicy food, especially when the spice and sugar are balanced and one doesn't overbear the other. After searching for a Honey Jalapeno Glaze from a restaurant (Rio Bravo) that went out of business a few years ago, I stumbled across this simple mix and decided to give it a try on Pork Chops.

Ingredients: 1 Cup Jalapenos

1 Cup Vinegar

2 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup Honey

1 tsp. Salt

Package of Pork Chops

For the Glaze:

Chop the Jalapenos into 1/4 in. thick slices (enough for 1 Cup)

In a large pan, add the Sugar

Vinegar

Jalapenos

Salt

And Honey together mixing well

Stir over medium heat until boiling

Reduce the heat and simmer for *10-15 minutes (stirring constantly)

Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let cool

For the Pork Chops:

Season both sides with Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate thirty minutes

Once cooled, place the Chops into a large pan over medium high heat just long enough to lightly sear the outside

Flip over and repeat on the other side

After all of the Pork Chops have been seared, place them all into the pan

Pour the Jalapeno Glaze over the top

Cover tightly with tinfoil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for thirty minutes

Check to make sure they're fully cooked

Then serve and enjoy

The Pork Chops have a great sweet and spicy flavor, but the Glaze wasn't reduced enough (*simmer longer) and didn't really soak into the meat to give it a WOW flavor. Next time Ill tenderize the chops ahead of time and let them sit in the sauce overnight before searing the outsides.The Jalapeno slices on the other hand turned out wonderful, they have a candied flavor to them, sweet at first, then tingly hot afterwards. I definitely plan to make this Glaze again, but next time think it'd be better suited for rib meat.

Cream Cheese Oreo Dips

I received a e-mail not to long ago from a friend (The Todd) asking if I had ever had Cream Cheese and Oreos rolled into balls and covered in Chocolate. I replied that I hadn't but would like to have the recipe, to which his reply was of course, the recipe. So I went out and gathered the ingredients and below is my attempt at recreating the instructions.

Ingredients: 2 Packages Oreos (or generic store brand)

16 oz. Cream Cheese

White/Milk Chocolate for Dipping

Place the Cookies into a sealable bag

Then smash them into powdery pieces

Combine the crushed Cookies and Cream Cheese together in a bowl

Mix thoroughly

Roll into balls and place onto wax paper, then freeze for thirty minutes

In separate bowls, melt the two chocolates while the Cookies harden

Once cooled enough, remove the Cookies from the freezer

Dip both sides into the Chocolate

Make sure to get a even coating

Then place back on the wax paper 

Once all the Cookies have been dipped, put them back into the freezer until the Chocolate solidifies

Eat and enjoy

At first I was skeptical of what kind of concoction Todd had e-mailed me, especially after seeing the blackened grey mess all the ingredients mixed together made. However, after waiting for the finished product to cool then trying one for myself, it put all my skepticism aside. The Cream Cheese really adds a nice flavor to the Oreos (while holding everything together), and the Chocolate ties it all together without being too overbearingly sweet. Ill definitely make these again, but next time Id like to try a different flavored creme cookie other than Oreos.