Last week I posted a recipe for one skillet pork chops with apples. That was an amazing recipe was sweet and savory flavors all throughout. I seem to be on a Porkchop kick lately. Because this week I did another one dish with spinach, havarti and onions. With a busy schedule, one skillet pork dinners are perfect in a pinch and take little time. And easy clean up!

This recipe is another easy one that starts with well seasoned pork chops that have been soaked in baking soda and water to ensure tenderness. What do I mean by that? Well, a few years back, I was watching America’s Test Kitchen on PBS and they were talking about a quick way to tenderize meat without using a product containing a ton of sodium. I was intrigued! They said to use a mix of baking soda and water, then soak the meat for around 15 to 20 minutes. According to their site, briefly soaking meat in a solution of baking soda and water raises the pH on the meat’s surface, making it more difficult for the proteins to bond excessively, which keeps the meat tender and moist when it’s cooked.

Sounds great right? And it really works! I’ve never had more tender chops, steak, or chicken ever. One thing to note is that it is important to rinse the meat after the soaking process. You don’t want the baking soda in your final recipe. This process is so simple and like I said works like a charm. Pork can get tough if you overcook it, so this helps keep it tender and delicious.

I adapted this recipe from the October 2014 issue of Food Network Magazine. Yes, I do hang onto my magazines for quite some time because you never know when you gonna need a quick recipe and Food Network usually has exactly what I’m looking for.  You’ll probably have most of the ingredients on hand like I did which saves time since you won’t have to go shopping after a long day at work.