Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions

I haven't posted a recipe in a month of Sundays! It's time. And this one's a favorite.  And it's a yummy, healthy, low-fast dish... score!

This one's also a perfect fit for October and Halloween -- complete with its own trick and treat. The finished product would delight any little ghoul on All Hallow's Eve...

The trick to this recipe? Instead of cooking the onions for a long time in butter and oil to bring out their sweetness (and all those calories!), we'll cover the pan and add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.  The treat is...it's ready in half the time!

 

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions
5 points

 

4 (4 ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 cups)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

 

1.  Place pork chops between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound slightly to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chops and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove chops from pan, and keep warm.

3.  Add onion to pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with brown sugar; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon onion mixture over pork chops.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chop and about 1/2 cup onion mixture)

 

** Hint: Even though the recipe doesn't call for it, we cover the chops while cooking, keeping a close eye on them. They cook faster this way. We always use a meat thermometer to check the chops for safety and doneness. We ignore the recipe's overall cooking time and go by the chops' temperature to tell us when they're done.

 

C'mon -- tell me -- served like this --  that it isn't a perfect candidate for the main dish of a Halloween meal! Bwahahahahaha! Enjoy...

 

recipe credit: Weight Watchers 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Cookbook, Winter 2008, p. 53