Do you have a great, simple idea for a pan sauce for pork chops?!
Do you have a great, simple idea for a pan sauce for pork chops?
Full disclosure: it's really pork tenderloin medallions, but I figured that what was good with one would be good with the other. I don't want to go to the store for anything--it's pouring down rain! Here's what I have: chicken broth; white wine; plenty of herbs; butter; the usual assortment of spices; dried cranberries; apples (but they're Pink Lady and I don't know if those are good for cooking...?) Obviously I'm not looking for a sauce that uses them all! Just something simple to enhance the pork. Any ideas? Thanks!
Answers: I like to make a sauce from the drippings....You can deglaze the pan and stir with a fork, getting all the bits of cooking stuff from the bottom of the pan. Add milk or chicken broth, a bit of white wine, herbs of your choice, get it hot and then add a roux of flour and water (mixed to the consistency of pancake batter) it should thicken. After you get the right taste and consistency, you can strain the gravy through a sieve or cheesecloth to take out all the lumps and bits that you don't want, or just serve it as is and call it a "rustic" sauce.
Good luck.!
PS-I would cook the dried cranberries and apples with sugar and cinnamon and a bit of water and lemon juice, in a saucepan and make a wonderful applesauce for a side dish. It's delicious served with pork. A classic red wine reduction, with for example, Riseis Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 1998, and a dash of Balsamico di Modena, some freshly ground black pepper & salt to your taste.Reduce to desired consistency, and pour over the pork chops done to just 'medium' and ENJOY!!!... with a glass of Wente Beyer Ranch 2004 Zinfandel {:-) After you've cooked the pork off in the pan, remove any excess grease, but keep a little left in the bottom of the pan. Make sure that any of the drippings from the meat are still left in the pan, because this adds flavor. Add some diced up apples and sautee until soft. Add a little of the white wine and chicken broth with a little bit of water. Cook it until it reduces by about half. Gradually add in some cold butter, and whisk it in. This will thicken the sauce and make it slightly glossy. Season with salt and pepper and serve over the pork. Delicious. No worries...after pan frying your pork loin, take it out to rest.
In the same pan,fry off some quartered apple with the core removed until golden brown.
add a splash of stock and a splash of wine and reduce the liquid by about half or until it looks thick...whisk in a small knob of butter, salt and pepper and there you are.....a yummy sauce Dust the medallions in flour,sear in hot olive oil,add lemon juice (half a lemon) combined with white wine and chicken broth,dried or fresh thyme,few slices of fresh lemon fresh chopped parsley,black pepper.Sorry no measurements,I always do it by heart,the pan sauce needs sometimes more flour to be thicker.Cook covered,if the sauce is to thin,the cooking process will thicken it up. Check in your cabinet for condensed cream of celery soup and applesauce, they are pretty typical ingredients. After you brown the pork, remove it from the pan and in that pan add the can of soup, half a soup can of water, a heaping spoonful of applesauce, salt and pepper, and a chopped apple. Bring it to a boil while stirring. Then, reduce the heat and put the pork back in. Let it simmer for a while and enjoy. It may sound like an odd combination, but it is really good. Mix some of the wine and chicken broth. I'd say 2 parts wine to 1 part broth. Boil and thicken with a cornstarch/water mixture. Add a can of mushrooms. OR
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heated milk
1/3 cup heavy cream/ can use milk
salt
white pepper
freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
Few tablespoons dry white wine, a few teaspoons mixed fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, etc.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir until mixture is well blended. Gradually stir in hot milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to boil and thickens.
Simmer, stirring frequently, over very low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in cream and wine, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a little nutmeg and herbs, if desired. Makes about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of medium thick sauce. OR
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
4 anchovies, minced
1 tablespoon minced capers
2 tablespoons minced celery
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients; whisk together until well blended.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of remoulade sauce. OR
This rich sauce gives lots of flavor to pork tenderloin or chops, or serve it along with grilled chicken or steak.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard or Creole mustard
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (such as Emeril's Essence or similar)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash ground pepper
PREPARATION:
Simmer vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat until it is reduced to about 3 to 4 tablespoons, about 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the Creole mustard, Cajun seasoning, and cream. Bring to a simmer; continue cooking until reduced and thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve with roasted pork tenderloin, grilled or broiled meats, fish, or poultry.
Serves 10 to 12.