Pan-Grilled Curried Pork Chops with Spicy Kumquat Chutney

Last week I posted a recipe for my kumquat chutney. I also inherited a dozen pork chops from my mother-in-law and thought it'd go well with the chutney, and it does. These pork chops are also pretty good on it's own, as the curry gives it a great flavor. I've experimented with many different methods to produce a great juicy pan-grilled pork chop and have gotten the best results from an adaptation of Simply Recipes, although I used a rub that I inherited from my mom, minus the ginger. I don't necessarily like ginger, but ginger powder makes meats so tender.

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
3 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 tablespoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teapoons salt
olive oil for frying
cast iron skillet

As suggested, choose thinner pork chops for best results for this method. I used 1/2 to 3/4 inch chops. As you can see from the photo above, they're thinner than the kumquats. If you use thicker chops, you can try covering the pan as suggested on Simply Recipes. I haven't tried this method without a cast iron skillet, and I have found that I do need to grill a little longer than the 2 minutes per side recommended on the Simply Recipes website.

Mix all the ingredients well and rub them into the chops front and back, dividing the rub evenly between the 4 chops. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes, then take them out to bring them back to room temperature just before grilling.

Heat some oil on a hot cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium and put the chops in to sear for 3 minutes on one side. Turn to the other side and turn off the heat. Let them sit there for another 3 minutes on the pan and promptly remove. Enjoy them on their own or spread the chutney on them and then enjoy them.