Time for something a little more... exciting. Stretch your legs a bit. Half this plate I made for the first time on Sunday, so don't think this is hard or anything. This rich and hearty hunters' sauce is a great accompaniment for meats and is usually paired with schnitzel (more on those later), but it's delicious so have it with whatever you want.
Ingredients:
For the chops:
Method:
Timing is crucial, as ever. The sauce will take a small amount of time, so my advice is to make that first. Use a pan with a lid (I've got an 8"/20cm skillet), and cover it when you're done until you're ready to serve, basically.
As you approach the last two steps there, you can think about getting the chops on the way. I treated myself to two, because we're in a global pandemic, and they were going to go off anyway so I might as well have. So what?
Prepare the meat. Give both sides a good old rub with our beloved salt and pepper. Is there nothing that can't be improved with seasoning? Anyway. I sliced them diagonally so I could work the seasoning in some more. You do you.
And here we are. My favourite time: service.
Serve this with some traditional fare - potatoes in divers form; my preference is skinny fries. A jar of pickled gherkins nearby won't hurt the plate and will make a good counterpoint to the rich, buttery sauce. I must admit that I cheated on the fries, but...? Excuses, excuses, I know, but I regrettably haven't the facilities at home to fry my own. I suppose the only thing worse than not doing is not being able to, right? I confess that I'm not entirely sure how long this all took - it was a lazy, lockdown Sunday afternoon when I made it so no tearing hurry, but I doubt this will push a half hour including prep time. As long as the sauce is ready to go when your meat's rested, everything's fine and dandy. That sauce recipe is almost a bare-bones style as well, so if you want you can add cream or more and different herbs and any kind of stock you like, but I was more than happy (and had enough left over to use a few days later) with what I got out of that. Why not go all the way and serve with a nice refreshing glass of beer?
Ingredients:
For the chops:
- Pork chops
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Stock
- Plain Flour
Method:
Timing is crucial, as ever. The sauce will take a small amount of time, so my advice is to make that first. Use a pan with a lid (I've got an 8"/20cm skillet), and cover it when you're done until you're ready to serve, basically.
- Dice your onion and garlic. I used one mid-sized red onion and three cloves of garlic; use at least this amount of garlic, if not more.
- Slice up your mushrooms. I had chestnut closed cup mushrooms, so split head and leg and sliced pretty thin.
- Heat butter in a pan, and when it bubbles throw the onion and garlic in.
- When everything's softened, add the mushroom and cook them down. Season with salt and pepper, and add some rosemary. I love cooking mushrooms with rosemary.
- Keep stirring.
- After the mushrooms have sweated down a bit, add some more butter to keep things moving.
- Give it another few minutes, and then pour in the stock. I had about 400ml, or just under 2 cups worth, and that seemed to be fine.
- Bring the heat up.
- Stir in a good few sprigs of sage.
- Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.
- Reduce the sauce, then turn it down and put the lid on. At this point, you can turn it off and then bring up to temperature to serve.
As you approach the last two steps there, you can think about getting the chops on the way. I treated myself to two, because we're in a global pandemic, and they were going to go off anyway so I might as well have. So what?
Prepare the meat. Give both sides a good old rub with our beloved salt and pepper. Is there nothing that can't be improved with seasoning? Anyway. I sliced them diagonally so I could work the seasoning in some more. You do you.
- Oil a frying pan and bring up to a good, high temperature.
- When it's hot enough (you know), stand the chops, fat side down, and hold them together with a pair of tongs, rendering the fat on the edge. This will get hot so just watch it.
- Once you're happy with that (or have no hairs left on your wrist, whichever first), lay the chops down in the pan with the fat towards the edge.
- After a few minutes, flip them over and add a decent wedge of butter to the pan.
- Baste the meat, and turn them and baste again. Have a steady hand on the pan and tip it either towards or away and use a spoon you're happy with to pour the rendered oil and butter over the meat. Being comfortable with your cooking environment and tools is so much more important than anything else. Try not to burn yourself too badly.
- Keep an eye on them and make sure they're good - I cooked two thick chops so it took a few more turns and basting before they were done.
- Rest the meat. Even on a fresh plate for five minutes, it makes a difference.
And here we are. My favourite time: service.
Serve this with some traditional fare - potatoes in divers form; my preference is skinny fries. A jar of pickled gherkins nearby won't hurt the plate and will make a good counterpoint to the rich, buttery sauce. I must admit that I cheated on the fries, but...? Excuses, excuses, I know, but I regrettably haven't the facilities at home to fry my own. I suppose the only thing worse than not doing is not being able to, right? I confess that I'm not entirely sure how long this all took - it was a lazy, lockdown Sunday afternoon when I made it so no tearing hurry, but I doubt this will push a half hour including prep time. As long as the sauce is ready to go when your meat's rested, everything's fine and dandy. That sauce recipe is almost a bare-bones style as well, so if you want you can add cream or more and different herbs and any kind of stock you like, but I was more than happy (and had enough left over to use a few days later) with what I got out of that. Why not go all the way and serve with a nice refreshing glass of beer?
~~~
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