I may have mentioned a few hundred times that my mother loved to bake but hated to cook.
She did cook, of course, because that is what one did.
She was a good cook, but she didn’t enjoy it so there was no burning desire to try new things and / or new ways. She had 15 or 20 dishes in her repertoire that she made well and made often.
One of them was Baked Pork Chops.
To be honest, I have no idea how she made the dish or what she put into it – other than the pork chops and a can of that favorite Midwestern pantry staple: Cream of Mushroom Soup.
I was so put off by the rubbery bits that were meant to be mushrooms that it was many years before I could be persuaded to actually eat fresh mushrooms. I still refuse to eat canned mushrooms – even well-hidden beneath pepperoni and cheese.
When I was in my own kitchen I used Cream of Chicken soup in my Tuna Casserole.
That’s a long way of saying – this is my version of my mother’s Baked Pork Chops.
(The slow cooker is in summer hibernation and it’s too wet and cold to use the grill.)
Braised Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 – 4 pork chops, depending on size, 12oz (360gr) total weight
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbs olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken broth
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) white wine
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms, trimmed, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 2 tbs water
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) Greek or plain yogurt
Instructions:
- Heat 1 tbs oil in medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Add pork chops and brown, about 5 minutes per side. sprinkling each side with paprika.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add broth, wine, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- 15 minutes before chops are done:
- In a separate skillet heat remaining 1 tbs oil.
- Add onions and sauté 7 – 8 minutes, until tender but not browning.
- Add mushrooms, garlic and sauté 5 minutes longer.
- Remove chops from skillet and pour cooking liquid over the onions and mushrooms.
- Add cornstarch mixture, stirring until thickened.
- Stir in yogurt and heat through.
- Spoon over chops and serve.
Find more Pork Recipes here.
Bonnie has had her usual ear infection. She’s been shaking her head and rubbing her ear on the floor.
I, being a responsible human, have been putting in the ear drops I get from the vet.
Guapa, in her attempt at being a helpful sister, then attempts to lick the medicine out of Bonnie’s ears.
When I tell her to stop they both give me ‘the look’.
You see, Bonnie regularly demands that Guapa groom her. She plops down on Guapa’s front paws and sticks her ears or eyes in Guapa’s face and says: clean me.
Guapa dutifully does her job.
Bonnie rarely returns the favor.
We usually let them handle it themselves – except when I have just put the ear drops in.
Then we have confused, but loving, dogs.
These look so rich and wonderful … The loving confused dogs are just as wonderful. Always miss my dog when I see yours.
The pork shops were wonderful (she says, modestly). As to the dogs – not sure what I’ll do when these 2 leave me. Sigh…. And they’re getting old already!
Just spent too much time scrubbing tiny dots of ear goo off walls, all from my mutt with an ear infection shaking her head. She’d love having Guapa around. Our resident cats are worthless in that regard!
Luckily, Bonnie doesn’t shake after I put the drops in. She actually likes it. If only I could teach them to shake in the barn after a walk in the rain – that would save the furniture and the walls.;-)