Almond Crusted Pork Chops and a Cookbook Giveaway

Not too long ago, one of my blogging friends, Cate of Chez CateyLou, emailed asking if I’d like to participate in a giveaway involving her aunt’s cookbook, Almonds: Recipes, History and Culture. A quick look through the book on Amazon and the answer was obvious! Co-authored by Cate’s aunt Barbara Bryant and Betsy Fentress, the book “detail(s) the intriguing history of the almond, from its origins in Asia and Mesopotamia to its cultivation in Egypt, Italy, and eventually California, while food writer Lynda Balslev offers over 60 recipes featuring the cuisines of China, India, Lebanon, France, Italy, Mexico, the United States, and more. And celebrated food writers and chefs share ethnic customs and traditions and how they use almonds in their own kitchens.”

We are giving away three copies of this beautiful book, which you can enter to win at the bottom of my post. For more information, check out the book’s, website HERE and give its Facebook page a like HERE. In the meantime, I chose to make these almond crusted pork chops with sweet and sour apricot glaze to help show off the book’s contents.

The recipe is so simple and yet provides a complexity of flavor that would lead your guests to believe you slaved away in the kitchen for hours. The chops are completely coated in almonds, which get toasty while the pork is finishing cooking in the oven. This provides a fantastic, earthy crunch that is then glazed in a sauce which includes apricot preserves, fresh lime juice, soy sauce and cardamom. The pork was so delicious and my husband especially loved it.

I’m really looking forward to trying more recipes in this book and very happy to be participating in this giveaway. Be sure and visit my other blogging friends’ recipes, print or PIN my recipe and enter to win this beautiful book!

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Almond Crusted Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Apricot Glaze

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 c. apricot preserves
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 T. fresh lime juice
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 T. fresh grated ginger
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. ground cardamom
• 4 bone-in pork chops 1-inch thick
• 1 c. raw almonds finely chopped
• 1 T. olive oil

Instructions

• To make the marinade, whisk all the ingredients (garlic through cardamom) together in a bowl. Reserve half the marinade for the sauce. Pour the other half of the marinade over the pork and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Be sure and remove the pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on the almonds. Turning the pork and pressing the almonds into the sides so the pork is coated with the almonds.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet. Cook the pork, about 5 minutes per side, until it is beginning to brown.
• Transfer the pork to a baking pan and finish cooking in the oven, until the pork is firm to the touch and pale pink in the center (a minimum of 145 degrees), about 12 - 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the reserved marinade to the cooking pan over medium heat. Scrape up any browned bits and simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes. Pour the cooked marinade over the pork and serve.

Soba Noodles with Spicy Almond Butter Sauce from Chez CateyLou
Bucatini with Pesto Trapanese from Culinary Couture
Almond Butter from URBAN BAKES
Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Pomegranate Seeds, and Almonds from Cooking and Beer
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Almonds from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
Pumpkin Cannoli from Baking a Moment
Banana Almond Smoothie from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Roasted Almonds with Lemon and Rosemary from Spoonful of Flour
Almond Crusted Pork Chops from Foodtastic Mom