Maple-Mustard Pork Chops

Covered in that savory sauce and out of the oven. :)

Now that I've been cooking more Ive expanded my repertoire to include more than just chicken (I've added ground beef/turkey, chuck roast, salmon and tuna steaks, woo!). I saw another recipe from Classic Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals, this one for pork chops, and decided I was ready to try it.  When I saw it was only $3.10 for 4 chops at the store I was even more excited for this new recipe adventure (I love a deal!).

This dish has some really great flavors. Grilling the pork chops gave them a nice smoky flavor (though my unventilated kitchen was slightly filled with smoke, too). The spiciness of the brown mustard, combined with the richness of the cumin and sweetness of my apple cider impromptu substitution made for a great meal.  John told me how great they were several times, and then, sweet as always, reiterated by saying, "I don't want to sound like a broken record, but everything you cook is just so wonderful. I promise to tell you if I don't like it, but it's just all better than the last."  I'm a lucky girl. :)

Ingredients: 
*1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
*1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
*1/2 teaspoon allspice
*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*grill seasoning blend (I used Montreal Seasoning) or salt and pepper
*olive oil
*8 center-cut boneless pork loin chops (I only used 4)
*1/2 cup dark amber maple syrup (I couldn't find this at the grocery store - maybe I didn't look hard enough - but I went ahead and substituted the dark amber maple syrup for good old light syrup that was sitting in our fridge. I think it worked out just as well - and healthier!)
*1/4 cup apple cider (I forgot this, so I substituted 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon  - - it was great!)

Preparation:
*Preheat a grill or nostick griddle pan over medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Combine syrup, mustard, cider (or cider substitution), onion, allspice and cumin in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, 7 to 10 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken.

*Coat chops lightly in olive oil, season with grill seasoning blend - or salt and pepper - and cook on the grill pan of your choice, 3 minutes on each side. Baste chops liberally with sauce and cook, 2 or 3 minutes more, then transfer to a baking sheet. Baste again with sauce and place in hot oven to finish cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes (I did 12 minutes but feel 10 minutes would have been better).

*Serve along your sides of choice! I chose mustard-roasted potatoes - recipe posted here too! :)

Sauce...such a delicious and interesting combination!

On the grill pan. So nice to have when you can't have a grill at your apartment (but received an amazing one as a wedding gift and have to store it).

Flipped after first 3 minutes.

Covered in that savory sauce and out of the oven. :)