Pork Chops with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 seedless cucumber
• 1 red onion
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper, divided
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 box Krusteaz cornbread mix
• 1 Giant Eagle large egg
• ⅔ cup milk
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• 2 cups Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue sauce
• 1 cup Dole frozen blueberries
• 1 Tbsp. Market District extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Giant Eagle boneless pork chops

Directions:

  Prep Time: 10 min. • Cook Time: 35 min.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Thinly slice cucumber into ⅛-inch slices. Peel and slice half of the red onion into ⅛-inch julienne. Combine cucumber, onion, cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and sugar. Mix well and let sit while you prepare the rest of the meal. Season pork chops with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cornbread mix, egg, milk, and canola oil and whisk well. Once combined, pour into a cast iron skillet or baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place in preheated oven and bake according to chart on the back of the box.

In a small sauce pot, combine barbecue sauce and frozen blueberries; bring to a boil (should take 4-5 minutes) and lower to a simmer. Cook for another 10 minutes. Blueberries should start to break down in the sauce.

While the cornbread and barbecue sauce are cooking, heat olive oil in an ovenproof sauté pan on high for one minute. Add pork chops and sear 3 minutes on each side. Spoon ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce on each pork chop and place in oven for 12 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 145°F.

Once cornbread is cooked, cut into 6 large pieces. Serve pork chops with a piece of cornbread and a generous helping of the cucumber mix.