Southwesten Corn Chowder

Today was coooold at work and soup sounded just so good. To be honest I have had corn chowder on my mind for about three days now. This is a play on your standard corn chowder with just a little added kick to it.

This corn chowder turned out amazing! It has a real comfortable, earthy flavor to it. The sweetness of the corn balances the gentle heat of the jalapeno. Texturally the soup is silken in the broth and carries a very rustic boldness with it.
Ingredients:

1 Medium sized boneless pork chop
1/4 teaspoon Moroccan coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Combine the above 5 spices into a rub and apply to both sides of the pork chop. Set it aside and allow it to come to room temperature.

16 oz. Frozen sweet corn (Defrosted)
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 cups water
1 Pint of half and half
1 Russett potato cubed with skin on
1 Jalapeno pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained.

Bring your oven to broil and roast the pepper until blackened. Remove the pepper from the oven and sweat it in a Ziploc baggy. Once the pepper has cooled peel the skin and core the pepper.

In your blender, cream the corn by adding the defrosted corn and 2% milk, add the jalapeno into this mix as well.

In a large dutch oven melt the butter at medium to medium high. Once the pot is to temperature sear the pork until you have a nice crust on both sides. Set the pork aside and allow it to rest. Reduce temperature to a gentle boil. Add water to the pot to deglaze the pork and butter; this will bring more flavor to the soup. Cube the pork.

At this point add the pork, potato, black beans and creamed corn to the water and bring it back to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender add the cream and bring it to temperature but do not let it boil stirring constantly. Add a dash of coriander, cumin and then salt and pepper to taste.