This pork chops recipe is a great way to use things you raise or grow in your cooking.
If you are like me, you love coming up with new recipes using ingredients you have on hand.
Nothing is more satisfying to me than growing and raising my own food.
Where To Get Banana Leaves
The banana leaves came from a dwarf banana I am growing in a pot.
If you don’t grow bananas, ask someone who does if you can have a couple of leaves.
An alternative is to check with ethnic markets in your area.
Ask for banana leaves that have been grown organically.
Sometimes if they don’t have banana leaves on hand, they can order them.
Put the extra leaves in the freezer so you have them when you need them.
Pick The Spices From Your Garden
Sage, rosemary, chili peppers and garlic are spices that most gardeners grow.
If you do not grow these, ask around.
Organic is best.
Dry The Extra Spices
Feel free to dry some for winter use, but do keep the leaves of the sage and rosemary whole.
The flavor lasts better if you wait until you use them to grind them.
I also dry my garlic as whole cloves, powdering it as I need to.
The same goes for any peppers from the garden.
If they are small, I dry them whole.
If they are larger, I cut them in half or quarters so they do not appear dry on the outside and mold on the inside.
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
The Flavor
A delicate banana like flavor does come through as does the warmth of the spices from the wine.
The chili pepper gives a hot, spicy taste to the meat.
Feel free to substitute the ingredients to suit your families taste.
Enchanting Tropical Pork Chops
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
- 2 fresh banana leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced or powdered
- 1 dried chili pepper – you may omit this ingredient if your family does not like hot, spicy food.
- 1 teaspoon ‘Alaea Hawaiian’ red sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mixed peppercorns
- 2 1″ thick pork chops
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup Witches’ Brew – this is a red wine spiced with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Feel free to substitute your favorite wine if you cannot find this one.
Instructions
- Rinse off the banana leaves with water. Place them in the pan you will be using to bake the pork chops. Set this aside.
- Put sage leaves, rosemary, both garlic cloves, whole chili pepper, red sea salt and peppercorns in a spice grinder.
- Grind until all of the herbs and spices are finely ground.
- Spread finely ground spice mixture onto a plate. Make sure it is evenly distributed.
- Melt butter and olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.
- Place the first pork chop on the plate pressing lightly.
- Turn the pork chop over and repeat the process.
- Place the first pork chop in the pan that contains the melted butter and olive oil. Cut diagonal slits in the top of the pork chop.
- Pick up the second pork chop and repeat the process making sure both sides are covered in spices.
- Put the second pork chop in the skillet next to the first pork chop, making sure to cut slits in the top of it. If any spices remain on the place, brush them off into the skillet.
- Cook chops over medium heat for about ten minutes.
- Turn the pork chops over and cut diagonal slits on this side as well. Cook for ten more minutes. Both sides of the pork chops should be lightly brown at this point.
- When the pork chops are brown, remove them one at a time from the skillet and place in the center of the banana leaves. There should be one pork chop on each banana leaf. Pour the liquid remains of the skillet over the pork chops.
- Roll one side of the banana leaf towards the pork chop. Then roll the second side towards the pork chop. Your pork chop should now be rolled up in the banana leaf.
- Turn the banana leaf over so the two ends are on the bottom of the pan. The weight of the pork chop will keep the banana leaf from unrolling and exposing the pork chop.
- Repeat this process with the second banana leaf and pork chop.
- Pour ¼ cup Witches’ Brew or your favorite wine over the banana leaves making sure to get some in the ends of the banana leaves where the pork chops are.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Be warned, the intensely nutty fragrant smell of the banana leaves cooking will transport you to a tropical island.
- When the time is up, your pork chops will be done. Remove the pan from the oven. Move the banana leaved pork chops to a plate using a spatula. Allow to cool briefly, then carefully remove banana leaves from the pork chops. They will both be hot, so use caution.
Suggested Side Dishes
Serve the pork chops with your favorite side dishes.
We chose baked honey Brussels sprouts with shells and cheese for our side dishes.
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