Maple Braised Pork Chops

I really love the food blog community. I get so many great ideas and dinner is hardly ever boring anymore. I can barely keep up with all the great recipes I have saved! Well I've had this recipe saved for a couple weeks but it's been getting pushed back and pushed back because we've been so busy and I haven't been doing as much cooking as usual. So I finally decided I wanted to make this for dinner tonight. Well wouldn't you know I didn't have the brown sugar that the recipe calls for. I get so frustrated when I get ready to make something and then realize I don't have one or more of the ingredients. But I was determined to make it anyway so I improvised a little. It still turned out really good even without the missing ingredient. The great combination of flavors still came through in every bite.

Maple Braised Pork Chops

1-2 lbs pork ribs (I used boneless pork chops)
maple rub (recipe below)

Maple Rub

• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar(I used a little granulated sugar and extra syrup just for sweetness because I was out of brown sugar)
  
• splash of worchestershire sauce
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chicken stock for the bottom of the crockpot
  

1. Combine above ingredients in a bowl. Consistency will slightly clumpy and paste like. Coat pork ribs with this paste using your hands - a basting brush isn't as effective.
2. Place coated pork in a dutch oven or in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours OR Place coated pork in your crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours.

Prep time: 5-10 mintues

Cook time: Oven: 3-4hrs Crockpot: 5 to 5 1/2hrs

Serves: 4

(I baked my chops in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 min and then broiled for a couple min. I added a little chicken broth in the bottom of the pan. My maple rub was a little thinner than it probably should have been because of the extra syrup. Still good though.)


Adapted from: Tara's Pork Chops
Original Source: Joelen's Blog