Mushroom Pork Chops

Recipe courtesy of the Cozy Cook

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients

Mushrooms

2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. mushrooms, see notes

Pork Chops

4 pork chops, see notes
Salt, to taste
¼ cup flour
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Gravy

2 cups chicken broth
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tsp better than bouillon
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, can sub low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup half and half
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. mustard powder
¼ tsp. dried sage
1/2 cup dry white wine, see notes
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Flour
2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet, optional

Instructions

Prep Work

1. Sprinkle each side of the pork chops with salt and let them sit out for 30 minutes or so. This will give the salt a chance to penetrate through the meat and flavor it. It will also make the pork juicier. A light sprinkling is fine as the gravy also has plenty of flavor.
2. Cover the pork with saran wrap and pound it with a meat tenderizer. This also helps to make it more tender.
3. In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the chicken broth, beef bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, half and half, and seasonings for the gravy. (1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. mustard powder, 1//2 tsp. thyme, ¼ tsp. sage.) Set aside.

Cooking

Melt butter over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. Allow them to brown on each side for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed. Sauté in batches if needed, leaving space around them will allow them to crisp up more. Add a little more butter and/or a splash of olive oil during cooking if needed. Remove once golden brown and set aside on a plate.

Searing

1. Pat the pork chops completely dry. Dredge the Pork Chops in the flour mixture just before frying. This gives them a nice outer crust.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear 2 pork chops at a time for about 2-3 minutes per side, until nice and golden. Optional: Use kitchen tongs to hold up the pork chops and sear the fat around the outside if using bone-in. Add a splash more olive oil or decrease heat slightly as needed during searing. Set pork chops aside.
3. Clear any black remnants from the pan but leave as much brown “fond” as you can, as this will create a more flavorful sauce.

Gravy

1. Add the wine and garlic to the same skillet over medium heat. Let it reduce and bubble gently until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot with the wine as it reduces.
2. Add 4 tbsp. butter and let it melt. Add 4 tbsp. flour and whisk to combine with the butter. Continue to whisk for about 2 minutes, until you can no longer smell the flour.
3. Add the chicken broth mixture in small splashes, whisking continuously to incorporate. Don’t add it too quickly or the roux will break and the sauce won’t be as thick.
4. Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce to a simmer, stirring continuously.
5. Optional: Add 2-3 drops of Kitchen Bouquet to darken the color of the gravy.

Finishing

1. Add the pork chops back to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top.
2. Cover and let the pork chops cook for 10 minutes. If possible, use kitchen tongs to flip them halfway through.
3. Add the mushrooms back to the skillet and cover. Turn off heat and let the pork rest in the skillet for 5 minutes. Ensure the middle is 145° prior to serving.
4. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

Notes

Mushrooms

• I like to buy mushrooms that are already sliced, cleaned, and dried to save time. Button or Baby Bella mushrooms are good options.
• The mushrooms are cooked separately in this recipe and are mixed into the sauce at the end. This lets them release some of their water, concentrate their flavor, and give them a nice golden color.
• More than 8 oz. can be used, although I feel like they absorb some of the gravy even though they’re not added back until the end.

Pork Chops

I recommend bone-in pork chops as those are the most flavorful. Aim for nicely marbled meat that’s 1 to 1.5 inches thick for juiciest results.

Wine

• Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay make good wine choices in this recipe. Marsala wine can also be used.
• Wine Substitute: 1/2 Cup chicken broth and 1 Tbsp. butter can be used instead of white wine if needed.

Crockpot Method

• Cook the mushrooms and sear the pork chops as outlined, set aside, and prepare the gravy.
• Transfer the gravy and pork chops to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Refrigerate the mushrooms in an airtight container and stir them in before serving.
• The prep work above can be done 2 days ahead before cooking it in the slow cooker.

Storage

Calories: 582kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 40g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 795mg, Potassium: 1038mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 606IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg