Sweet and Sour Pork Chops with Peas, Cucumber and Mango

Getting dinner on the table in 30 minutes is an easy feat when you have a quick recipe like this one on hand. Inexpensive pork chops come alive with a simple sweet and sour sauce, as well as a fresh mango and cucumber salad on the side.

Preparation 20 min

Cooking 10 min

Servings 4

■ 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) chicken broth

■ 3 tbsp (45 ml) ketchup

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) tamari or soy sauce (see note)

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) maple syrup

■ 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger

■ 1⁄4 tsp garlic powder

Pork and Vegetables

■ 4 boneless pork chops, about 3⁄4 inch (2 cm) thick each

■ 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

■1 1⁄2 cups (225 g) small green peas 1 English cucumber, cut into thick spirals or julienned

■ 1 small ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced

■ 1 tbsp cilantro or mint leaves, finely chopped

Preparation

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1. In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.

Pork and Vegetables

2. In a large skillet over high heat, brown the pork chops in the oil for 3 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, coating the meat in the sauce, until the desired doneness is reached.

3. Meanwhile, in a small pot of salted boiling water, blanch the peas for 2 minutes. Drain. Add to the sauce in the skillet.

4. Divide the pork chops and sauce between four plates. Garnish with the cucumber, mango and mint.

Note Though they are similar, tamari and soy sauce are not the same thing. From Japan, tamari is made from fermented soy beans. Sometimes monosodium glutamate and caramel are added to tamari sauces. Soy sauce originated in China, and while it too is made from fermented soy beans, it often contains wheat and therefore gluten. Both sauces are barrel-aged for 18 to 24 months, and then pasteurized.