Tropical Pork Chops "Luscious Luau"

I thought I'd start off easy by tackling a "dump and serve" recipe from our book of 1950s cuisine.  Although the name was inviting, the recipe called for little more than taking some prepared sweet and sour sauce, combining it with pineapple chunks, and dumping the concoction over some browned pork chops.  Completely uninspired and totally pedestrian.  Although I've got to give it massive props for quick and easy, and, yes, the result would have yielded a perfectly edible set of pan-fried chops, the experience would have left me somewhat empty inside -- and somehow, the blasé recipe did not conjure a Luscious Luau in my mind.

In four simple steps, the recipe wanted us to:

1. Combine pineapple chunks, sweet and sour sauce, raisins and brown sugar in a bowl.
2. Brown chops.
3. Dump combination sauce over chops and simmer until cooked -- about 10 minutes.
4. Serve over cous cous (I doubt they had this in the 50s, in the U.S., but what can you do?)

So, what could I do that was simple and at the same time increase the flavor quotient?  I added a flavor-paste rub.  Before browning the chops (which were not chops at all but a chopped pork loin), I dosed them with a rub designed to bring out a Luscious Luau flavor.

Alex' Luau Rub


1 tbs Chinese 5 Spice
1 tbs Onion Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tbs Pineapple Juice












Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and form a paste. Take the paste and spread it over both sides of the chops!  Put the chops in the refrigerator (covered or it they will stink up the fridge) for at least two hours.

By the way, if you don't have pork chops, relax.  I didn't have pork chops at home but I did have a 1 1/2 lb pork loin.  Here's what I did:

Take the loin and cut it in half, leaving you with two even cuts.

Take those halves, and slice them in half again for four "chops."

Presto!  Four "Chops."  As long as you don't over-cook them (internal temperature 145 degrees) they will be moist, juicy and tender.

Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that I used crushed pineapple rather than pineapple chunks.  Well, I didn't have any chunks.  I'm over it.  Are you?  Use what you have.  Repeat with me.  Use what you have.  Not surprisingly, I found that the crushed pineapple combined very well with the cous cous.

Oh!  Before I forget, I didn't have any sweet and sour sauce either -- I'll post that recipe for you tomorrow.  Who needs store-bought?

Enjoy!

Alex