If you don’t want to read the introductory words, click here for the recipe.
Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week. My week was rewarding and satisfying. Next week will be even better.
Inspiration
I got the inspiration for tonight’s meal from a bible study friend. She mentioned that she and her husband enjoy pork chops. I haven’t eaten a pork chop for I can’t remember how long.
I went to the supermarket on Friday evening to dry brine the pork overnight for tonight’s meal.
What have I been reading?
I’m in the last part of “The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Maté.
I’m not sure what I’ll read next. It may be some science fiction. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I enjoyed the “Monroe Doctrine” series that advanced into science fiction with artificial intelligence-enhanced warfighting. The addition of biological and nuclear weapons heightened my interest.
Recipe
- Equipment
- Frypan
- Saucepan
- Oven
- Mortar and pestle
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
- Pork loin chops with the bone in
- Flaky iodised salt
- Black peppercorns
- Garlic powder
- Rice bran oil
- Red (purple) cabbage
- Marmalade
- Potato
- Tomatoes
- Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Grind some peppercorns in a mortar with a pestle.
- Dry brine the pork by seasoning it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and refrigerating it uncovered overnight.
- Slice some cabbage and sauté in a frypan until it’s softened.
- Add in some marmalade and stir it through.
- Transfer the cabbage to a warm bowl for later.
- Wash the dirt off the potato, quarter it longitudinally, rub in a little oil, and season the pieces with salt.
- Place the potato into a hot oven (220 °C) and cook for about 25 minutes.
- Cook the pork in a frypan for a few minutes on each side and measure the internal temperature.
- The aim is to get the internal temperature to 68 °C.
- Allow the pork to rest for the equivalent amount of time it took to cook on the frypan.
- Quarter six small tomatoes and blend with some marmalade and Worcestershire sauce. Bring it to a slow simmer in a small saucepan. Then add ground peppercorns, salt, and garlic powder. I added too much pepper, so the sauce is bordering on uncomfortably spicy. It was surprisingly good with the finished meal.
- Dissect the bone from the meat with a knife and then slice the pork.
- Plate up and give thanks to the Lord.
- Eat with a fork while watching TV.
What’s happening next week?
I’m travelling and off to meet people I’ve only met online. It should be good.
I’m shy and introverted, and meeting people in person can be awkward. We’ll see; I’m looking at it all positively.
The rugby league State of Origin competition kicks off in Adelaide this week. I hope for a great game between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues.
Because I’ll be away, I may not post next weekend.
Self-hosting to WordPress.com
I’ve considered moving from a self-hosted site to WordPress.com for this blog. The server charges are high, and my commitment to blogging isn’t as strong as it once was.
My original idea when starting a self-hosted site was to be free to change things I desired without being constrained. Because of my current employment, income wasn’t a consideration. Drawing a second income would not be permitted.
I’ve seen how WordPress.com has developed since then, and there are fewer constraints and more freedom.
I’ve just paid my server fees for three years, so this is not something I’ll embark on soon, but it will be something to plan and execute at the right time.
Final thoughts
The pork was perfectly cooked. It was tender and juicy.
- Do you like pork chops? How do you like them cooked, and what do you serve with them?
- Do you enjoy meeting people in person who you’ve only known online?
- What are you reading at present?
Have a good week, and happy eating and living.
Photographs
I sincerely hope hat the planned foray next weekend will enhance your willingness o come and talk and thoroughly enjoy yourself amongst us in real life! Most of us are basically on line to make new friends with common interests! I have hugely successfully done so for over a decade and most of the people worldwide I have met absolutely live for meeting one the other – which should be a huge joy!! Health stopped me this year but this time next year I do hope o be with on-line buddies in North Africa and all points W Europe and Scandinavia – no stress anticipated – why should here be any??? Oh – halve the potatoes on your plate and double he greens . . .
Hi Eha,
Thanks for your comment and sharing your opinions.
Hi Gaz, that cabbage ad tomato sauce look amazing! I think it would be a good idea on save money hosting fees (I don’t think there’s any point individuals self-hosting). I hope you have fun meeting your online acquaintances. As an introvert myself, I can understand anxiety and nerves around that but they probably feel the same…I’m reading a lot of thrillers at the moment in an attempt to improve my own writing (what makes them so page-turning, etc) and I’ve just finished Marian Keyes’ Again, Rachel, which was brilliant.
Hi Emma,
Thanks, I know with a move to WordPress.com I’ll need to delete a lot of images and tidy up a lot of the posts. It’ll probably take me the three years. 😆
It’s only been in the last five years or so that I’ve realised the degree of introversion I experience. I feel exhausted after interacting with people. It doesn’t help that I am shy too. I’ve always shunned attention in person. Online interaction is no much easier and it feels safer and less risk.
I hope you have a great week.