Pork is such an easy meat to prepare, you will really be surprised – PLUS you could win a voucher
Steak and mushroom sauce are a firm favourite in South Africa. But have you tried pork chops with mushroom sauce? The juicy, flavourful meat combined with a thin, crispy outside layer of fat, fresh sage and a creamy mushroom sauce will make your senses do somersaults. It’s perfect for unpredictable summer days where you thought you might light up the braai but the weather had a quick rainstorm in mind. Better yet, it’s incredibly simple and very quick to make – as with most pork dishes.
If you can’t or won’t spend much time cooking, pork is your go-to. Certain cuts like chops, rashers, stir-fry strips and pork steaks take only a few minutes to create a delicious dish. All you need is a good-quality heavy-based frying pan, some pork chops, rashers or other quick-cooking cuts and a good sauce. Put it together, and you have a winner.
COOKING TIME
Pork should never be overcooked, as no one likes a dry mouthfeel. Rather stay on the cautious side with cooking times for most cuts, keeping the time similar or slightly less than when you’re cooking chicken breasts. If the alarm bells are going off in your head about pork having to be cooked well, you don’t have to worry. South African pork is produced to high-quality standards and is completely safe to eat cooked just until light grey on the inside.
Another top tip to keep in mind when you’re cooking pork – whether on the braai or in the frying pan – is to use tongs to turn the meat, not a fork. A fork will pierce holes in the meat and those lovely juices will run out.
WIN
Before you try the great recipe below, consider filling in the competition form below it. We’d like to know more about your pork-eating habits. And for your efforts, you could win a R250 pork voucher to spend at Food Lovers Market. With the affordable price per kilo, that’s enough pork to feed a large party crowd!
DELICIOUS PORK CHOPS WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE
SERVES 6
PREPARATION: 30 min
COOKING: 10 min
INGREDIENTS
6 pork loin or rib chops – ask the butcher to remove the triangular piece of bone at the top, as well as the outer skin. Have the fat trimmed to about 3mm in thickness
salt and pepper
30ml (2T) olive oil
4-6 sage leaves, finely chopped
MUSHROOM SAUCE
1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 punnet large brown mushrooms, chopped
30ml (2T) butter
15-30ml (1-2T) flour
350ml chicken or beef stock
60-75ml (4-5T) cream
TO SERVE
fresh herbs and finely grated rind of 1 lemon to garnish
METHOD
- Season the pork chops well with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a pan then add the sage leaves.
- Fry the chops in the sage and oil with the fat side down first, holding it upright with tongs and pressing the fat into the pan, until the fat has good colour. Then do the same on the bone side, still holding the chops upright.
- Now fry the chops for 2 minutes on each side then turn over. Use tongs and a spatula to press the chops down in the pan to get good colour on both sides. Do not fry the chops until dry and dark brown, they should be just cooked and still juicy. Remove the chops from the pan and set them aside to rest.
Mushroom sauce
- Add the onions, mushrooms and butter to the same pan that you used for the pork. The fat, oil and herbs left over from the pork add flavour to the sauce.
- Fry gently until the onion is soft and the mushrooms just cooked. Add the flour, stir fast and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Stir in the cream and put the chops back in the pan to gently heat through.
- Serve the chops with a sprinkle of fresh, chopped herbs and finely grated lemon zest
For more recipes and information, go to www.sapork.co.za, find @SAPORK on Facebook or follow them on Instagram at @porksouthafrica
Search the hashtags #quickandeasypork, #tenderandtastypork and #quickmealspork for even more.
ENTRY FORM
Fill in your details and tell us how often you eat pork, and you could win one of 50 pork vouchers at Food Lovers Market.
