For His Master's Veneration: Baked Pork Chops with the best creamed spinach

These pork chops are so tender, with a juiciness that only comes from marinading and oven baking. The sweetness of the maple syrup combined with the brown sugar and mustard make the perfect flavor combination.

Not long ago I was remembering how wonderful my first taste of spinach was. So I set out to recreate as best I could that magical creamed vegetable. Here is what I have created in an easy to follow recipe. It will help get even your most stanch spinach hater to try a spoonful. After that, stand back because they are going to want this every week.

Easy and delicious.

Ingredients for Pork Chops:

Marinade:

½ cup soy sauce

4 Tbs kosher salt

2 Tbs mustard

2 Tbs maple syrup

2 to 4 boneless pork chops

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Bread crumbs of your choice (I used panko)

The night before: mix ingredients for marinade and pour into plastic zipper bags with the chops. Set in refrigerator overnight.

Next day, rinse the chops, and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil and spray a rack to hold the meat.

Whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, Maple syrup, garlic and the egg. Use a large bowl and make sure it is mixed well. Set up your stations with the plate of chops, the liquid mix, a bowl with bread crumbs, and the rack.

Dip each chop in liquid and then in bread crumbs. Place on the rack.

Bake for 45 minutes or until chops are done in the middle. Check with your thermometer.

Let the chops rest for 5 minutes before serving.

While the chops are in the oven, go ahead with the spinach.

Memories of Orchard Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

3 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bunches spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream
Directions

Wash spinach and drain completely. As a personal preference, I choose to remove the stems. Then by piles, (handfuls) hold while you run a pizza cutter across the leaves. This will give you pretty strips, just try not to run over your own fingers. Continue until all of the spinach is cut. All you are trying to do here is to cut down the leaves. Do not cut them into such tiny pieces that it looks like you have been cleaning the lawn mower!

In a large sided fry pan over medium-high heat, fry bacon until crisp and grease has been released into the pan. Remove bacon to paper towel.

Add butter to grease in pan and mix in the minced onion. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute while stirring.

Add spinach in handfuls stirring each into the skillet. They will wilt down quickly and allow room for another handful. Keep adding until all is in the pan and the spinach is warmed through.