Name: Barbecued Pork Chops with Succotash Salad
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless pork chops , ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed; Salt and pepper; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup barbecue sauce; ¼ cup water; 4 ears corn , kernels cut from cobs; 2 cups frozen lima beans; 1 red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped; 4 ounces (4 cups) baby spinach; 2 tablespoons lime juice; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

Thickly coating our boneless pork chops, the sauce guaranteed some juicy meat. We simmered the chops directly in the sauce for flavor and ease and then served that syrupy sauce alongside our chops, which gave them a caramelized, almost-grilled flavor. As a fresh and complementary side, we took succotash up a notch by making it into a salad. We sautéed some corn to give it some char. When it was toasted to sweet perfection, we added lima beans to warm them through and then tossed both with baby spinach, bell pepper, lime juice, and chives for a side salad with bright tang. Because fresh lima beans can be difficult to find, we used frozen lima beans for a fresher taste and shorter cooking time. As for the corn, kernels scraped from fresh ears tasted much sweeter than frozen, and they gave the succotash nice crunch.

Instructions

Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through fat on edges of each chop. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chops until well browned on 1 side, about 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Pour barbecue sauce and water in skillet, flip chops, and cook until meat registers 145 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer chops to serving platter. Pour remaining sauce from skillet into bowl for serving. Wipe out skillet.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Add corn and cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Stir in lima beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

Add bell pepper, spinach, lime juice, chives, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to bowl with corn and toss to coat. Serve with pork chops and barbecue sauce.