Yogurt-Marinated Pork Chops with White Wine-Shallot Sauce

by Susan Hanna

This recipe from Food and Wine includes marinating pork chops in a spiced yogurt sauce prior to cooking. The yogurt tenderizes the pork and adds flavour. Once you have cooked the chops, set them aside to rest and make a quick shallot-wine-mustard sauce to serve with the meat.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use Astro Balkan-style yogurt, which is free of additives. Keen’s mustard powder is free of colour and additives. Check the celery seeds to make sure they don’t contain anti-caking agents. I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulphite level below 10 parts per million, butter that contains only cream and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (750 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt, plus more as needed, or 6 cups (1.5 L) yogurt whey
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) celery seeds
• 6 (8-ounce/227 g) bone-in pork chops (loin or rib-cut chops)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) black pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided
• 2 medium shallots, minced (about ½ cup/125 ml)
• ½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, sliced
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard

Preparation:

1. In a large, flat-bottomed container, stir together yogurt or yogurt whey, garlic, mustard powder, and celery seeds. Add pork chops, turning to coat; add more yogurt if needed to fully coat pork chops. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.
2. About 30 minutes before cooking, remove pork chops from marinade, and place on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Discard marinade. Pat pork chops dry using paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, rubbing liberally on both sides of pork chops.
3. Heat a 12-inch (30-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-high until very hot, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, swirling to coat skillet; add 3 pork chops. Sear until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip pork chops, and cook until seared on other side, meat is just slightly pink in centre, and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork chops registers 145°F (63°C), 3 to 4 minutes, reducing heat if exterior gets too brown before pork chops are cooked through. Transfer pork chops to a clean plate; tent loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean and repeat cooking process with remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil and remaining 3 pork chops.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add shallots to skillet, and cook, stirring often, until soft and caramelized, about 3 minutes. Pour wine into skillet; using a spatula, scrape up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Cook until wine is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes; turn off heat, and stir in butter and Dijon mustard. Pour sauce over pork chops.

From Food and Wine