#witchen kitchen

Week 1: Pear and Chipotle BBQ Pork

Hello Kitchen Witches! Welcome to my new series of posts, where each week I make a magical recipe with things I find in my kitchen!

This week is New Year’s and I am in a guest kitchen, my parents as I am house sitting. I did buy some the ingredients, but I found the Chipotle peppers in the fridge and got inspired.

This recipe promotes sweetness, love and the ‘spice of life’ as well as protection and prosperity in the new year! You can also focus on spicing up your sex life, but as I was feeding my Grandma and Husband, I focused on different areas. This sauce could also be used with other meats, or even meat substitutes or potatoes! It’s really delicious.

Ingredients- Serves 3

* 1 ripe Bosch pear - prosperity, love, protection

* 1/4 cup chipotle peppers (in juice/oil) - protection, sexual desire, ‘spice of life’

* 3 TBSP butter

* 3 TBSP brown sugar - sweetness

* 1/2 tsp smoked paprika - love

* 1/4 tsp onion powder

* 1/2 tsp of salt

* Pepper grinder to taste

* 1 or more TBSP flour

* 3 thick cut pork loin chops - prosperity, celebrations

* Splash of Sherry or Red Wine Vinegar - cleansing, protection, love

* 1/3 cup red wine - love, sexual desire, offerings

* 1/3 cup water or more

Instructions -

* Warm a medium to large frying/sauce pan/cast iron skillet with deep sides on the stove on low medium heat.

* Slice your pear in half and core. Dice one half of the pear and slice enough of the other half to cover the pork chops. Reserve the slices, and dice the rest.

* Add the butter to the pan and melt it completely before adding your diced pear, brown sugar and salt. Slowly stir to combine and let your pears begin to macerate 3 - 5 min

* Once pears are starting to macerate, add your chipotle pepper jam (or minced peppers in liquid), paprika, onion powder and pepper. Stir to combine.

* Stir peppers and pears together, mashing any large pieces with your wooden spoon as you go, for approx 5 min - until the liquids from the fruit are combining and a sauce is forming.

* Add your flour, a little at a time, to thicken the sauce. Add enough to make a soft paste/rue.

* Add your wine and vinegar slowly stirring in until desired thickness. Add your water as well, to make a thinner sauce. Some liquid will cook out so don’t be too afraid to add more wine or water.

* Bring sauce to a simmer.

* While sauce is being brought to a simmer, rinse and pat dry your pork loin chops. Add a small coating of flour onto your chops.

* Once sauce is simmering add your chops and cover with the sauce.

* Cook 5 - 7 minutes then flip over and cover with sauce again. Add your slices of pear to the tops of the chops.

* Cook until the centers are no longer pink and the juice runs clear or until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees.

* Serve with remaining sauce spooned over the chops.

This recipe was so good that it inspired this series. I don’t have a photo of the completed dish, but it was really good. I served it with roasted potatoes and green beans. The complex sweet, smoky, and spicy sauce really made me remember why I love to cook. It brings warmth to those I love, it’s creative and fun, and a great way to cook with intent and use my magic!

Happy Cooking from the Witchen Kitchen!