Pork chops, rubbed with Southwestern seasonings, seared in a skillet and finished in a tomato-based sauce. Serve over hot cooked noodles or steamed rice.
Southwestern Pork Chops
Pork chops are on a regular rotation around here. My husband, aka The Cajun, loves them and he'd probably be perfectly happy if I just fried them all the time, I tell ya!
Gotta admit, yeah those are really good, and I love watching my husband gnaw them down to the bone, but let's be real.
Far as I'm concerned, speaking as a Southern born and bred gal, I think fried food is perfection, and much as we'd like to, well we just can't eat it that often y'all. I'm always looking for different ways to serve my pork chops.
Just inserting a quick reminder here.... that this is a blog, not just a "recipe site," and yes, there is a difference! I want to first thank all of you who have supported my work over the years, but if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips and such in a post, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!Bone-in pork chops are the most flavorful, but I've been buying pork ribeye chops the past couple of years and boy are those good! They're ultra tender and never a disappointment.
Other than the rice or noodles you serve it over, this recipe is so easy to put together, one-pot and tastes like it took a lot of effort!
Here's how to make my Southwestern Pork Chops.
Mise en place y'all, meaning gather up all of the ingredients before you start. Even if you're a seasoned cook, it's still a good idea.
For this recipe, I'm using boneless pork ribeyes though you can use bone-in pork ribeyes as well. You may not have even noticed them before, though they are widely available at stores around here. Even Walmart carries them!
BUT, WHAT ARE PORK RIBEYES?
- All pork chops come from the area that runs from shoulder to hip on the loin, the most common being from the ribs or loin.
- Pork ribeye comes from the rib portion of the pork loin and can be bone-in or boneless. It is the ribeye of pork!
- As you can see in the photo below, pork ribeye chops are nicely marbled, much like their beef cousins, making them much less prone to overcooking and drying out, and much, much more juicy and tender than any other cuts of pork chops, like center cut chops.
You may also use other cuts of pork chops, keeping in mind that cooking times may vary. Absent the marbling of the pork ribeyes, your timing will shorten to avoid overcooking. The key is keeping an eye on the internal temperature, 145 degrees F on an instant read thermometer when measured from the side of the chop.
Season chops with salt and pepper on both sides and rub that in. Skip the salt if your chops are salt-brined.
Season chops with salt and pepper on both sides and rub that in. Skip the salt if your chops are salt-brined.
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THE RUB:
- Brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Sweet or smoky paprika
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dried mixed herbs (oregano, thyme, basil)
If you've been around my website for any length of time, y'all have seen my seasoning cabinet and know that I like to try a lot of different products and share them with you.
This Casero Total Seasoning by Lawry's (#ad) is a seasoning I received recently as a substitution in a grocery order and I've used it multiple times since. It's essentially an all-purpose type of seasoning that contains salt, along with garlic, oregano, parsley and cilantro, and is a nice addition to these chops as well as many meals. The cilantro is barely negligible.
You can include it in your rub, add it to your sauce or even just sprinkle some on top of the platter of chops!
Combine rub and spread all over the chops on both sides. Set aside and let rest 20 minutes.
You know how every once in awhile, especially when you grow your own tomatoes, you end up with some that while still good, start getting a little wrinkled, and well, not so pretty?
Well, I had put up some of those using this air fryer roasted tomato method, so I'm using those for this dish. Otherwise, you'll need about a cup of diced fresh tomatoes, with their juices, along with 1/2 cup salsa, mild or hot, whatever you like!
Add chops to skillet and brown for 2 minutes per side.
Remove and set aside.
To the drippings in the skillet, add the tomatoes, salsa and green chiles.
Bring to a boil.
Nestle chops into the sauce.
Turn to coat, reduce to a medium low.
Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F on an instant read thermometer when inserted into the side of the chop.
For more of my favorite pork chops, check out this collection on my Pinterest page!
Unable to view the printable below on your device? Tap/click here.
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