Recipe: Baked Pork Chops with Hominy and Orange

the appetizer:

Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas, includes recipes like Virginia Smithfield Ham Spread; Skillet Cornbread with Cracklin's; and Baked Pork Chops with Hominy and Orange.

Baked Pork Chops with Hominy and Orange

Makes 4 servings

Hominy, which is dried corn kernels from which the hull and germ have been removed, is a Southern staple that has been paired with all types of pig ever since American Indians introduced it to the first colonists. Nothing is more popular in rural areas of the Deep South than fried pork chops or belly with a side dish of boiled and buttered hominy grits (dried hominy ground to meal), but things become more sophisticated in the Middle Atlantic states, where you're more likely to find the chops slowly baked with a spicy combination of hominy, onions, and some form of citrus. Canned hominy is now available in all major grocery stores.

4 thick pork loin or rib chops
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups canned hominy, drained
2 oranges, peeled, sectioned, seeded, and white pith removed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup orange juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a shallow 1-1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.

2. Trim the fat off the pork chops and render it in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat, discarding the rendered pieces. On a plate, dredge the chops in the flour, tapping off the excess, brown them on both sides in the fat, and transfer to a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet, stir till softened, about 5 minutes, and remove from the heat.

3. Arrange the chops in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and spoon the onions evenly over the top. Pour the hominy evenly over the top, arrange the orange sections over the hominy, sprinkle the cinnamon over the top, and season with salt and pepper. Add the orange juice, cover, and bake till the chops are very tender, about 1-1/4 hours.

4. Serve hot directly from the baking dish.

Pig Pickin's

Wild hogs, highly dangerous and destructive, are hunted for barbecues throughout the Carolinas, Louisiana, and Florida, and the largest on record is a 565-pounder shot near Coward, South Carolina, in 1996.