Pork Chops with Cardoncelli Mushrooms
I have a confession to make, one that I only realized recently. I don’t love mushrooms, I don’t dislike them like I did when I was a kid, but I get why people don’t like them and why it took me so long to try them. I love the flavor that they offer, but the texture isn’t something that I swoon over. This, I realized, is the reason that when I buy mushrooms, I usually put them in pasta or in a risotto, where they are cut up into little bits, give off a lot of flavor, but you don’t get slimy mouthfuls.
I decided to get over myself and for the sake of variety and jazzing up the blog, I went in a different direction. Pork chops, another thing that I have never loved, again, consistency. They always seem tough. I then ran across this recipe from the New York Times on the correct way to make a pork chop and I went with it and they were indeed delicious, the seared mushrooms and the mustard sauce bringing everything together perfectly.
I will try just about anything and with that I want to enjoy every kind of food. I’d never had a pork chop that had been seared at high heat and then finished off in an oven, making them crispy on the outside, but tender on the inside. It may have been the very first time I had ever cooked a pork chop, again, not a cut of meat I’ve ever really liked. The mushrooms were not little bits, but their consistency was delicious on the fork with a bit of chop and smothered in mustard sauce, the perfect balance.
Pork Chops with Cardoncelli Mushrooms
from The New York Times
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons safflower or grapeseed oil
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 4 bone-in pork chops (1 1/4-inch thick)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 pound small shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustards, 1/2 cup of oil and sherry vinegar until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon remaining oil. Meanwhile, season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside to absorb the seasoning for a few minutes.
- When the oil begins to smoke, add the shiitake mushrooms to the pan, brown side down, in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat until the caps are seared all over. Using kitchen tongs, turn mushrooms on their other side and cook for a few more minutes until golden. Transfer mushrooms to a plate and set aside. Wipe skillet of any excess oil with a wad of paper towels and set over medium heat once again.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. When it begins to smoke, add the pork chops in a single layer (you may have to do this in two batches). Cook the pork chops over high heat until the first side is browned, 6 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness. Flip over the pork chops and place the skillet in the center of the oven. Cook for an additional 6 to 8 minutes or until done to taste. Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the pork chops to rest, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Arrange the pork chops on a serving platter. Top with mustard vinaigrette and mushrooms. Serve immediately.
- YIELD 4 servings
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