Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots are an easy and flavorful fall meal, featuring a spice rub fresh carrots with a light citrus glaze.
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Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots – “Restaurant Quality.” What exactly does that mean, when someone anoints this proclamation upon a dish? I’ve heard it a couple of times but it’s something I won’t ever hear too often. Last evening, Scott gave this recipe this very endorsement and I have to acknowledge, he was spot on.
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Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots
This past summer we discovered rainbow-colored carrots at our favorite farmer’s market where almost every Saturday found Scott, myself, and our gaggle of boys. Throughout the season, we braised them, we roasted them, and we crunched on them, raw. I found their earthy but colorful tones mesmerizing, and their tastes far deeper than the store bought carrots we usually are forced to rely upon. This past Saturday marked the last day of our little farmer’s market until next spring. With that in mind, I was sure to pick up one final bunch of these autumn gifts from some farmer’s garden.
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One of the things that I love about cooking is using our collection of pots, pans, knives and all the rest. These Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots start out with a hot sear on the stove top in one of my favorite oven-safe skillets. It ends up in the same pan, braised in the oven.
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Although these Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots have a predominant base of Cayenne pepper, don’t let that dissuade you. Along with that warm seasoning, there is also onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh thyme. And a little paprika. My point here, you can created an herb dredging of whatever it is that whets your whistle. Cajun and Italian-based flavors are a couple of alternative options that you could easily consider.
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We used the spell-binding rainbow carrots from our farmer’s market to provide a crown for these Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots. Cut on the bias, they were tossed in olive oil and fresh thyme with a little salt and pepper.
More Pork Dishes on Platter Talk
Serving suggestion: Whip up some homemade mashed potatoes with this dish, add a dollop of sour cream and some fresh thyme.
Then, toward the end of the pork’s sear, we tossed them in the same pan. At the end of the braise, we deglazed our pan with fresh-squeezed orange juice, creating a golden glaze with a pleasing citrus undertone. These Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots are easy and affordable to make. They are perfect of a weeknight meal, a special dinner, or as Scott pointed out, to be placed on the menu of your favorite restaurant. Please, give them a try and let us know your thoughts. Happy fall! -Dan
Cayenne Seared Pork Chops with Orange-Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 thick pork chops bone-in
- 3 vegetable or peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons Cayenne pepper adjust amount to taste
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves minced and divided
- salt and pepper
- 3-4 carrots cut on the bias
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice from 1 navel orange
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine seasoning and thyme, mix well.
- Dredge each pork chop in dry mixture, allow to set for 20 minutes.
- Using oven safe skillet, heat vegetable or peanut oil on medium high.
- Sear each pork chop, about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Mix carrots with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in pan with pork chops.
- Place pan in oven, covered for 15 minutes.
- Remove pork from pan, cover with foil to keep warm.
- Add orange juice to pan and deglaze while stirring. Reduce to desired consistency.
- Plate pork chops on warm plate, top with carrots and orange glaze.
Recipe Notes
Guidelines for Pork Temperature
For safety reasons, pork should have a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F before eating.
Medium rare 145 + 3 minute rest
Medium 150
Well done 160
That sounds truly delicious, orange and carrots are such great bed fellows and I am sure they will taste great alongside the pork!
Well it certainly looks like restaurant quality! I can only imagine they taste like it too! It looks delicious, and great pictures by the way!
What an amazing combination of flavors. We all love cooked carrots in this house 🙂 And I use cayenne on just about everything.
Thanks, Michelee. We love the colors and flavors in this dish!
This looks delicious. I bet the hotness of the cayenne pepper really pairs well with the sweetness of the carrots and orange juice.
Thanks so much Lyn. Truly, this one is a keeper!
The chops look lovely, so delicious. I bet the cayenne seasoning adds so much flavour
Yum, these pork chops look amazing! I also love the carrot topping!
We make a lot of pork chops, so nice to get a new idea for how to prepare them. Pinned to my “recipes to try” board!
These look simply amazing! They perfect for a Valentine’s day dinner at home 🙂
Love those beautiful carrots! Nothing makes me want to eat my veggies more than a delicious glaze over the top of them. The pork chop looks divine too! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness: if ONLY I could pop down to the farmers’ market and grab some of these beautiful carrots right now! I love the easy-to-riff spice profile here. Paired with mashed potatoes, this meal sounds like pure comfort-food bliss!
That color really grabs you and draws you in, such a beautiful dish. I bet the sweetness of the carrots is perfect against the cayenne!
the flavored in this dish are perfectly fitting for the time of the year. Paprika and thyme goes so well with pork. I like to go to the farmers market for veggies like rainbow colored carrots. There are always some lesser known veggies waiting for me to be discovered. 🙂
Cayenne makes everything better! It’s one of my favorite spices 😀
This sounds fantastic!
I’ve been in a dinner rut lately, I’m going to have to try this. looks so flavorful!
This recipe sounds fantastic.
It’s funny that you’re farmer’s market is ending — while ours is just getting started — in fact, we won’t get the big crops until January. I’ve sometimes seen those great carrots at the market as well and will be looking for them. Pork chops are one of our favorite dinners and these sound like they’ve got great spice!
I love the spiciness in this recipe combined with the sweet carrots, this sis restaurant worthy!
Dan, this SO looks like a restaurant meal – it’s fantastic! I love that it’s got a cayenne base for the seasoning – YUM! I will definitely be trying this recipe at home. The orange glazed carrots also sound so divine <3
Thanks, Beeta. We really enjoyed this special but easy to make meal!
Nice and spicy! The way my family likes dinner!
Thanks, Debi! I think you’re family would enjoy this one!
You know I’m known for touting “restaurant quality” and these surely fit that bill! They look succulent and the presentation is definitely how they would be served in a fine dining restaurant. Kudos for a great recipe!
These are gorgeous. You are right, restaurant quality!
Many thanks, Renee. This was truly a delicious dinner.
Love the color of the carrots and the flavor from the oranges.
Thanks so much, Peter!