Smokey Maple Glazed Pork Chops

 I stumbled across a different version of this recipe a couple of days ago, and decided to make my own version.  These tasty sweet and smokey chops were the results. So good my 6 year old grand daughter ate seconds, and my picky son cleaned his plate.  The roasted pecans are a must for this, they made the dish special.



Dry  Rub:
2 tsp sugar
one tablespoon dried parsley
2-3 tsp  sea salt
2 tbs  paprika
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Mix well in a bowl and set aside until needed.

Sauce:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup butter maple syrup( Mrs Butterworth works well)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp of liquid smoke
Pecans, toasted and chopped, optional garnish

6  pork chops, about 1-inch thick( center cuts work best, but any cut will still taste good)
2 tablespoons olive oil

I am kinda OCD and dont eat red meat often...........so I rinse the meat and towel dry with a paper towel.

Rub the pork chops with the dry rub and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help tenderize

Sauce Instructions: 
put the vinegar in a small pot bring to a boil, reduce to half. Add the the rest of the sauce ingredients and continue on low boil until reduced again, by half

Heat oil in heavy deep fry pan( i use cast iron) Cook the pork chops on medium high heat,  until very brown on both sides.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook until done desirableness. about 8-15  minutes depending on thickness of your pork chops.  Arrange on a serving platter and  sprinkle toasted pecans over chops, then pour sauce over pork chops, and serve.

 
Roasted Pecans: Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil and put a single layer of pecans on it, roast under the broiler about 6-8 minutes.





Variation. Grill Chops and brush with the sauce.