• 1 pork tenderloin — (approx 8-ounce)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic — minced
• favorite cooking spray
• Fresh mint sprigs

Instructions:

-Trim any fat from tenderloin. Cut into two pieces.
-Cut a lengthwise slit down each piece, about 2/3 of the way through and then flatten.
-Spritz tenderloin with cooking spray and then sprinkle tenderloin with ground pepper to your liking.
-Combine marmelade, fresh mint, soy sauce, and garlic.
-Place tenderloins in roasting pan and pour marmelade mixture over top and spread out evenly.
-Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until juices run clear.
-Garnish with mint springs at serving time.

One of my favorite meals includes pork chops because they are so full of flavor. However, they can be difficult to cook if you have never cooked pork chops before.

Tips for the Best Pork Chops:

1. Prepare Ahead
Decide ahead of time what you’ll be adding to your chops and how you’ll be cooking them. If you plan to fry them in oil or wine, make sure you have enough time to cook them 2 or 3 at a time. The size will also depend on how much time you’ll need. Give yourself at least an hour.

2. Cook Slow
The main thing you’ll want to keep in mind regardless of what you add is they need to be cooked slow. Cooking pork chops too fast will leave them burnt on the outside and pink in the middle. If you are cooking it in a pan, don’t cook higher than medium heat.

3. Add Additional Ingredients Last
When you add ingredients like cream of mushroom soup, be sure to add them last. Since you’ll be cooking slow, you want to make sure the meat is fully cooked before adding ingredients that don’t need to be cooked that well.

Feel free to get creative with your pork chops, and try out different ingredients following the tips above!

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About the Author: Kara Kelso is the mother of two, and owner of several websites. For more pork chop recipes and tips, visit:
http://www.idea-queen.com/pork-chops.html