Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine-Shallot Sauce

by Susan Hanna

Cooking pork chops can be tricky. You want the chops to be cooked but not grey, tough and overdone. This recipe from Food and Wine calls for the pork chop to be coated with salt and ground peppercorns, seared and then roasted. While the pork rests, make a quick sauce with butter, red wine and shallot. I used two chops that weren’t quite one inch (2.54 cm) thick, so I reduced the roasting time. A good meat thermometer is handy to have for this recipe.

Serves 2.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the peppercorns and the butter don’t contain colour. I used a red wine from Frogpond Farm Organic Winery that has a sulfite level lower than 10 parts per million. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 (1-pound/454-g) bone-in pork loin chop (1 inch/2.54 cm thick)
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly ground peppercorn blend
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) unsalted butter, divided
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• ¼ cup (2 ounces/60 ml) dry red wine

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Place pork chop on a plate; pierce with a fork at ¼ -inch (0.64-cm) intervals. Flip pork, and pierce opposite side. Press salt and peppercorn blend evenly onto both sides.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) ovenproof skillet over high. Add pork chop; cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with pork to preheated oven. Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of meat registers 130°F (54°C), about 10 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from oven; transfer pork to a plate or carving board. Return skillet to heat over medium; add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter, and let melt. Add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until aromatic and translucent, about 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, undisturbed, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter; remove from heat, and swirl skillet until butter is melted and emulsified into sauce. Carve pork; serve with sauce.

From Food and Wine