Dijon Pork Chops

I still remember a meal Ross and I had when we visited Munich, Germany years ago.

Sidenote- I couldn't remember the year we went so I looked back on the blog and viola, there it is. We went to Germany in 2009 during my birthday and Oktoberfest. I'm so thankful for this online diary!

Back to the story...
We were in a little neighborhood pub near the English Garten, nothing fancy, just good food and a memorable atmosphere. I ordered a Dijon Turkey dish and it was delicious. I feel like I have been on a quest to find a dijon sauce that reminded me of that meal.

I think this NYT recipe for Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce is the closest thing I've come to. It's not overly complex, but the sauce has great flavor. As a matter of fact, it's so great you should consider making a double recipe :) I served over brown rice.

Texas Sized Pork Chop!

This meal was kid tested and approved also :)

PORK CHOPS WITH DIJON SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut rib or loin pork chops, bone in
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped green onions or shallots
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¾ cup chicken or veal stock
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley(optional)

PREPARATION

1. Melt butter in the oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper and add them, browning well, about 2 or 3 minutes a side, reducing the heat slightly if chops brown too quickly.
2. Remove chops to a platter and pour off most of the fat. Add green onions or shallots and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil, scraping brown bits off the bottom. Stir in the stock and return chops to the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover and cook until chops are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the chops to a warm platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Raise the heat and boil pan juices to reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add cream and boil 2 minutes more, until sauce reduces a bit and thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk in mustard and the parsley, if using. Taste and add more mustard if desired. Immediately spoon sauce over the chops and serve.

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Seared Pork with Roasted Grapes

I went to a Sur la Table cooking class with a friend and learned a thing or two or twenty :). Did you know you say table like "Taub"? Apparently I've been saying it wrong for years. I didn't much care for the instructor but this seared pork tenderloin recipe is pretty much on point. I think the roasted grapes were one of the biggest epiphany's I had in the class. It went something like this "Grapes? I have those. And I roast things all the time. I should do this. Who thought of roasting grapes? why didn't I think of this sooner?"

Don't be shy with the salt and I definitely recommend letting the meat marinade all day or overnight. Enjoy!

As much as an iPhone picture can entice you... look at that herb crust!

Our meal wasn't just meat.

And the girls pretty much didn't touch any of this meal. Mostly because Paige is big time teething right now and is only interested in yogurt and applesauce. No fun.

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Roasted Grapes is a Thing?

I didn't know you could roast grapes up until last weekend when I took a Sur la Table cooking class with my friend Katrina. I mean who would've thought? They add a delicious sweetness to a savory dish without being over powering. And the pork tenderloin itself was quite tasty too; the longer the herbs sit on the meat the more intense the flavor is. Rosemary has been my herb of choice lately (thanks to Ross's newfound hobby of homemade popcorn and toppings) and this recipe really highlights the herbs.

Very unprofessional photo of Ross's plate, but you get the idea.

And here's how to re-purpose your meal for kids. Add some cheese to the plate, pull avocado and oranges out of the salad and wellla!

I used red and green grapes...

Try it out next time you want to make pork!

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