Oven-Barbecued Pork Chops

From EatingWell: January/February 2007, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook — Subscribe Now!

Need a little summertime flavor? Try this swift recipe and enjoy a “barbecue” indoors. Make it a meal: Serve with coleslaw and cornbread.

4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds bone-in, 3/4-inch-thick pork rib chops, trimmed of fat
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, (see Tip)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce. Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the middle and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

Tips & Notes

Tip: Check the sodium content of your favorite barbecue sauce if you have sodium sensitivity—some can be quite high. This recipe was developed with Annie's Natural Hot Chipotle BBQ Sauce, which has only 240 mg sodium per 2-tablespoon serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 250 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 452 mg sodium; 474 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (57% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 1/2 lean meat