Braised Pork Chops with Sour Cream Sauce
Submitted by nconn
Pork loin chops browned and braised with mirepoix, white wine, and tomato paste, then sauced with a strained sour cream, Dijon mustard, and caper finish. Bistro-style elegance in an hour.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsThis is the kind of pork chop recipe that makes you wonder why you ever settled for a simple pan-fry.
Loin chops get a golden sear, then braise on a bed of carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and herbs in a mix of white wine, chicken broth, and tomato paste.
The real showpiece is the sauce: the braising vegetables get pressed through a fine sieve, extracting every ounce of flavor, then blended with sour cream, Dijon mustard, and briny capers.
The result is a velvety, tangy sauce with a sharp, pickled edge that plays off the mild sweetness of the pork like they were made for each other.
Spoon it generously and serve with crusty bread to soak up every last drop.
Pro Tips
- Press the vegetables hard through the sieve. All the concentrated flavor is in those softened aromatics. A gentle push won’t cut it; really work them through with a wooden spoon.
- Never let the sour cream boil. Bring the sauce just to the edge of a simmer and pull back. Boiling curdles sour cream and turns your silky sauce grainy.
- Dijon and capers are the flavor anchors here. If the sauce tastes flat, a touch more mustard or a few extra capers will sharpen it right up.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet large enough to hold the chops .
Add the chops and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 5 min.
Scatter the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and parsley around the chops.
Cover and cook 10 min.
Blend the wine, chicken broth and tomato paste and add to the skillet.
Cover closely and cook about 25 min.
longer, turning the chops once.
Remove the chops and keep hot.
Add the mustard and sour cream to the skillet and stir.
Bring just to a boil, but do not boil or the sour cream will curdle.
Put the sauce through a fine sieve, pressing down with a wooden spoon to extract the liquid flavorings from the vegetables.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan and add the capers.
Reheat gently without boiling.
Spoon the sauce over the chops.
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