Mustard Pork Chops ~ this is a quick and easy 30-minute meal that comes from Nigella Lawson, so you know it’s also comforting and luxurious!
I’m more and more convinced that quick and easy meals are the way to go… by necessity, of course, who has the time for anything else…but also for flavor and enjoyment. I don’t want to sit down to a meal, however delicious, that took me hours to create — I’m too tired to enjoy it. And long involved cooking doesn’t always equate to better or more flavor, sometimes a simple treatment can have more oomph than an elaborate meal. Why bake a potato when you can boil or roast these little guys in a fraction of the time? Why cook a roast for hours when you can grill pork chops in the time it takes you to set the table?
I’ve posted quick and easy fish, chicken, lamb, and even vegetarian dishes. Here’s one for the oft forgotten meat, pork. I grew up eating pork roast, and pork chops, but for some reason I rarely find myself in front of the pork section in the grocery store. But I firmly believe that variety is key, not only for health, but to inspire a continued commitment to cooking and eating well. I can easily get bored with salmon or chicken every night of the week, and these tangy mustard pork chops break up the routine.
The mustard sauce couldn’t be simpler, it’s just a blending of hard cider, (the alcohol quickly cooks off) whole grain mustard, and cream. It’s worth keeping whole grain mustard around, it works really well in sauces, and you can see the beautiful grains in whatever you’re making. I like to use it for marinades and salad dressings, too. I eat it with cheese, sausage, and even Brussels sprouts!
I served the chops with boiled baby new potatoes and peas. Very British.
This is the simplest sort of everyday dinner, but that’s what makes it so enjoyable…
Love pork chops? Try these too ~
Slow Cooked Peach Barbecue Smothered Pork Chops
Slow Cooked Apple Bourbon Smothered Pork Chops
Minimal Monday: Mustard Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops (about 1 lb total) If they are thick, pound them down a bit between two layers of plastic. This will tenderize them and allow them to cook quickly.
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup hard cider, or wine, vermouth, or dry sherry
- 1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat until quite hot. Sprinkle the pork chops with a little salt and the grill them for about 5 minutes on each side, just until they are done through and no longer pink. Remove the chops to a warm plate.
- Add the hard cider to the pan and let the liquid bubble away for a couple of minutes. It will reduce a little and you can scrape up any brown bits from the pan to add flavor to your sauce.
- Stir in the mustard and the cream and heat through.
- Serve the pork chops drenched in the sauce, with boiled potatoes alongside.
Notes
Made this for dinner tonight. We loved it, my husband kept commenting how delicious it was.
I’m so glad to hear that Marty!
perfection. we’ve become obsessed with pork chops, and mustard is a great accompaniment. this is a version i haven’t tried and it’ll be next, for sure!!
Mustard and pork go so well together! This meal looks so quick and delicious! Especially with some potatoes!
That grainy mustard sauce looks really great!
I feel like we are kindred spirits as this is usually my most favorite way to cook as well. I started something on my blog a while ago, categorizing recipes as “Quick Family Comfort” meals. Very similar concept: comforting meals for the family made with a minimal of fresh ingredients. LOVE IT!
Glad to meet a kindred ‘comfort food’ spirit Ann, thanks for stopping by!
I am always cooking simple stuff, with exceptions in some weekends. But if I have to spend time doing something, I usually devote it to bread baking, mostly hands off, and always wonderful in the end. Or almost always… 😉
pork chops and mustard are a perfect combination, of course…
I love pork chops and new potatoes – Nice!