Oven Roasted BBQ Pork Loin Chops

Lean and Sassy!

That is just how I felt after eating one of these beautiful cuts of tender, tasty pork 'steaks' last week. Why I could have 'whupped up' on any scaredy cat that came a'calling... I say that because of late there seems to be a lot of kitties and tom-catting going on, roaming around our neighborhood, ferel cats I suppose, doing their kitty-kat business at all hours during the darkness of night. Now I am a friend of all animals but don't mess with my nocturnal habits. I mean, that is one godawful sound, especially when awoken during the middle of the night.

I know this recipe has nothing what so ever to do with tom-catting ways, so I am not going to even try and make a connection. But this is an old southern way of marinating pork in producing a very flavorsome and  succulent, tender chop. Finish it off with a smigen of barbecue sauce and it tastes as if it spent hours on the grill.

Come to think of it, maybe those kitties came calling for table scraps.....

Enjoy!

Oven Roasted BBQ Pork Loin Chops
2 servings

2 - 2 inch thick pork loin fillets, butterflied
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

Marinade:
juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
pinch of dried crushed thyme

Mix all marinade ingredients together in a glass container just large enough to hold the pork. Arrange pork in container and refrigerate covered for about 4 hours turning the meat over half way during the marinating time. Remove dish for 1 hour prior to cooking.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat an ovenproof skillet on medium high heat and when hot add the olive oil and immediately add the pork. Cook 2 minutes, turn meat over and cook another 2 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons of the marinade on top of each pork fillet. Place in the oven uncovered and cook for 8 minutes. Remove and turn the meat over and spoon 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce on each piece of meat. Turn oven to broil and cook another 5 minutes or until internal temperature of meat registers 160 degrees F.

Remove from oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.