Moroccan Spiced Pork with Apricots
Moroccan Spiced Pork with Apricots
Our Moroccan Spiced Pork with Apricots was inspired by Moroccan spices and fruits. Moroccan spices include nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, clove, thyme, spearmint, and many more. When we wanted to bring you this recipe, we saw that our Pumpkin Pie Spice has all of these spices, except the thyme and spearmint. Moroccan cuisine also makes major use of many fruits, including apricots and apples. We use dried apricots and apple juice in our recipe. The juice provides the base for the sauce, which adds both a sweet and savory flavor when simmered with the other spices and ingredients. Spearmint is used as a garnish and is a must. It is used throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East in so many dishes. The flavor compliments the rest of the flavors. Cooking this dish in a slow cooker allows the pork chops to get very tender and stay moist.
You can serve Moroccan Spiced Pork with Apricots with a rice dish, couscous, lentils, or a seasonal vegetable. We like a side of wild rice seasoned with a bit of our Chive Pepper, and whatever else is in season. Enjoy!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Lean Boneless Loin Pork Chops, about 6 Ounces each. Trim off any excess fat.
2 Teaspoons Kosher Flake Salt, plus 1 Teaspoon
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Large Red Onion Quartered and Thinly Sliced. Reserve ⅛ Cup for garnishing.
12 Dried Apricot Halves Cut into ¼” Strips
1 Cup Unsweetened Apple Juice
1 Tablespoon Sheffield’s Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Cup Fresh Spearmint, Rough Chopped For Garnish
⅛ Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion (From Reserved Onion Above)
Directions:
Season both sides of the pork chops with 2 teaspoons of the Kosher salt and the black pepper.
Add the olive oil to a large, non-stick skillet, over medium high heat. When it starts to shimmer, transfer the pork chops to the skillet. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden browned. Watch so they don’t burn. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if needed. Add the onion to the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown, stirring frequently so they don’t burn.
Add half of the onions and half of the sliced apricots in the slow cooker. Stir a bit to combine and spread evenly in the crock. Transfer the pork chops on top of the onion & apricots. Pour the apple juice over the chops.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the other half of the onions and apricots. Sprinkle the Pumpkin Pie Spice and thyme over the mixture. Stir to combine well. Spread the mixture evenly over the chops.
Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high until fork tender. Once or twice during cooking, ladle the sauce over the pork chops. Check after 3 hours for tenderness.
Plate the pork chops, ladling the onion apricot mixture over them, along with some of the sauce. Garnish with the reserved red onion and chopped spearmint. Serve with your choice of a traditional Moroccan side dish or two like rice, couscous and maybe a side salad or seasonal vegetable. Enjoy!