Pork chops with Chipotle Cream Sauce

I love pepper cream sauces. Because the hot stuff (capsaicin) in peppers is fat soluble, they're a perfect way to convey heat to the palate while at the same easing the pain somewhat.

A chipotle is a smoked jalapeño pepper. Because they have such a smoky aroma, they're a great way to add smoke to a dish which is cooked indoors. After I tore off the tops and dumped out most of the seeds, I bloomed about a dozen of the chipotles in a pint of chicken stock which I brought to a boil, then turned off the heat with the peppers in the stock. With peppers that aren't as strongly flavored, sometimes I'll add a stick of cinammon and/or some epazote to give it additional depth of flavor.

After it had cooled I used an immersion blender to make a loose puree, then strained the mixture. This made more than enough for 6 to 8 people.

While I put some heavy cream on the stove to reduce, I pan fried some pork chops with Survival Spice™ in a cast iron skillet, adding the juices from the skillet to the cream. After the cream was simmering, I started to whisk in some of the puree, then reduced the sauce until it was thick enough to not run all over the plate. I added no seasoning at all, though I will sometimes add a bit of honey it the sauce it too hot.

As far as ratios of puree to cream, start with some of each and keep adding until you have the blend and quantity you want. As the sauce reduces, naturally it will get hotter, so keep that in mind.

This was wonderful. I wish I could describe the powerful, yet well-tempered heat that complemented the chops beautifully. I've also made this sauce for beef and pork tenderloins, try it!

Thanks, Chile!