Cajun Pork Chops

I have to start out saying this was the name on the original recipe I snagged from a magazine at the dentist’s office years ago, and I have since tweaked, altered, gone back to the original, and changed again many times since. So does it even remotely resemble Cajun anything? No clue, but it’s good. So, so good. Whew! Ok, now that’s off my back we can begin!

Start by mixing the paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. I sometimes like to double the amounts to make sure I have plenty! Reserve 2 teaspoons of the rub and set aside. Generously rub the remaining spice mix on the outside of each porkchop and work it in as well as possible. Let sit, covered, in the fridge for 20 minutes.

While that’s going down, prepare the 1 1/2 cups of uncooked rice according to package directions. I cook this in a rice cooker and add the reserved rub before cooking.

You can either grill or pan fry the pork chops with just the tiniest bit of olive oil. I like both. Thin pork chops will need to cook 4 minutes on each side at medium-high heat. The thicker the chop, the longer you cook. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 degree you’re good to go!

Once the rice is done cooking, add the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and corn and let the mixture warm through. Serve the delicious pork chop over rice and enjoy!