Roasted Pork Chops with Mushrooms and White Wine-Cream Sauce

Sep 29, 2011
Pamela Steed Hill

Roasted Pork Chops with Mushrooms and White Wine-Cream Sauce - PS Hill

Tender roasted pork chops, earthy mushrooms and a creamy, savory sauce add up to big flavor in a warm, satisfying dish with few ingredients.

Only a few simple ingredients can make a hearty, satisfying dinner that cooks in less than half an hour. Brining thick, bone-in pork chops helps to tenderize the meat and keep it juicy while roasting. You can prepare this recipe without brining the pork chops, but allowing time for brining will add extra tenderness to the meat.

The sauce for the pork chops is very simple to prepare, but its rich flavor and creamy texture are a great accompaniment to the roasted meat. You can lighten it by using half-and-half instead of heavy cream. The texture will be thinner but still rich and tasty.

Roasted Pork Chops with Mushrooms and White Wine-Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 to 5 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 eight-ounce bone-in, center-cut pork chops, about 1-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
12 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, sliced into thick pieces
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
Chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a very large, deep bowl, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns and bay leaf with 3 quarts of water. Stir well until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the pork chops to the brine and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove the pork chops from the brine. Rinse pork chops under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and place them in the skillet.
Sear the pork chops until they just begin to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of pork chops. Remove the pork chops from the skillet and transfer them to the baking sheet. Place pork chops in the oven and roast until slightly brown and just cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning the pork chops over halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, in the same skillet, melt the butter and add the shallot and garlic. Sauté shallot and garlic for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and white wine, scraping up any brown bits in the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
Sauté the mushrooms until they begin to soften and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine with the mushroom mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes.
To serve, place 1 pork chop on each of 4 plates and spoon mushrooms on top of the pork chops. Spoon the white wine-cream sauce on top of and around the pork chops. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.