[Smashy the Hammer] [An Aspiring Luddite]
I carry no phone
An aspiring Luddite
In a wired world.
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[Jeff Berry]
Jeff Berry is an early adopter of the Internet and the Web, a late adopter of Twitter, and declines to adopt Facebook. With the death of Google+, he migrated to the Fediverse. He admins a medievalist Mastodon instance. He hates cell-phones.

Smothered Pork Chops
Edited
13 June 2013
[Pork Chop]

I am, it is fair to say, a fan of pork. However, in a general sense, I am not a fan of steaks and chops - pork or otherwise. It's not that there is anything wrong with a good steak - far from it! A fine piece of meat, simply cooked is a thing of beauty. Rather I find that, from a mechanical standpoint, they are rather dull; they provide less scope for creativity, since to make them shine, less tends to be more. Also, they're usually the most expensive cuts.

Sometimes, though, I make an exception. Even with this recipe, though, the meat is treated simply, it's the sauce and the presentation which are a bit more involved and interesting. And although it is presented here for pork chops, there's no good reason I can see why it wouldn't be suitable for beef or chicken. [Lots of pictures]

Smothered Pork Chops

Heat just a bare bit of oil in a skillet or heavy casserole. Dust the chops liberally with salt and pepper and sear them well on both sides. While they are searing slice the onions and mushrooms fairly thinly and dice the garlic. Remove the chops and set them aside for the moment.

Add another small dash of oil to the casserole, put in the onions, and sprinkle a tablespoon or so of flour on top. Sautée the onions for a few minutes while browning the flour. Add the garlic and a bit more flour - and a dash more oil if necessary. Cook that for another minute or two. Add the mushrooms and cook for another few minutes. By now the onions should be on toward translucent, the flour should be browned and the mushrooms should be still pretty firm. Add your liquid. A bottle of beer works fine, but broth or water would do as well.

Stir that all around, then put your chops back in and sort of sink them into the middle of the sauce. Keep at a simmer for a while, while the chops finish cooking and the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce and see if it needs anything - if you used beer or water, it probably will need salt and/or pepper.

EDIT: That'll teach me to work without my notes. I thought I had lost them, but then I found them again. So ... after you put the chops in, cover the casserole and put them in a 275F oven for an hour. Take them out, give them a stir, and then back in the oven uncovered for another 1/2 hour. ENDIT

Remove the chops to a plate. If the sauce isn't thick enough, kick the heat up and bring it to nearly a full boil for just a moment. Then spoon the mushroom gravy over the chops and serve.


© 2013 Jeff Berry
The Aspiring Luddite