Sometimes I buy groceries that I think look good at the time but don’t end up using right away. This especially happens to me with meat: take the pork chops that have been sitting in my freezer for who knows how long. I had plans to use them a few weeks ago when I made applesauce, but my laziness got the better of me and I ended up just eating the applesauce and never cooking the pork. Oops. I was determined to get rid of the pork this weekend, so I scoured the internet for recipes that didn’t involve the customary applesauce. I found this recipe from Robin Miller, whose dishes I’ve generally had luck with in the past. The only changes I made were to use apricot preserves instead of orange marmalade (I have an issue with orange marmalade…eww), and to add a few red pepper flakes into the sauce. The dish was fast (start to finish 35 mins), easy, and delicious! If I were to make it again, which I probably will, I would add more red pepper flakes and perhaps some garlic and ginger to the sauce. Below is the recipe, with a breakdown of the costs of each item. Items like chicken broth and scallions are prorated.
| Ingredients | Cost | |||||
| 4 pork loin chops (~5 oz each) | $5.57 | |||||
| salt and pepper | pantry | |||||
| 1 T. vegetable oil | pantry | |||||
| 1 c. apricot preserves | $2.49 | |||||
| 1/2 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth | $0.18 | |||||
| 2 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce | pantry | |||||
| 1 tsp. sesame oil | pantry | |||||
| red pepper flakes to taste | pantry | |||||
| 10 oz. udon noodles | $2.29 | |||||
| 2 T. chopped scallions | $0.25 | |||||
| Total cost (4 servings) | $10.78 | |||||
| Cost per meal | $2.70 | |||||
Bring water to a boil and cook udon according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season one side of pork with salt and pepper; add to skillet seasoned-side down and season the reverse side. Cook pork about 2 minutes per side.
In a bowl combine the apricot preserves, chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and mix well. Pour over pork in the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes until sauce is reduced. To serve, top noodles with pork and sauce and garnish with scallions.
The Chubby Grad 