Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

Are you sick of eating Thanksgiving leftovers YET AGAIN for dinner?  Is your extended family looking at you wondering what’s for dinner? Are you still tuckered out from cooking the Super Bowl of all meals days after the big event?  Well, here is a fantastic recipe that is SUPER quick (25 minutes max prep & cook time).  Last week I stumbled across it just after I got home from traveling/eating out for a week.  I was exhausted from being on the road and I was craving a home cooked meal (I have no clue how Ann, my sister, and Matt, her boyfriend, travel full time). 

Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling, especially when research suppliers are “wining and dining” you while trying to slyly pitch their products, but there comes a point when you have eaten too many indulgent meals and too many crappy fast food meals and you need to reboot.  I had traveled to Boca Raton, FL (I know, I know, such a hard life) for a marketing research conference.  There were so many AMAZING speakers ranging from David Kahneman ( Author of Thinking Fast & Slow) to Bob Johansen who gave a very provocative forecast of where we will be in 10 years.  However, the cherry on top was when I first arrived to the event and checked into the hotel (the Waldorf Astoria)…I had been upgraded to a bungalow for free!! Such a great week, but again, nothing beats a home cooked meal.  I hope you enjoy the recipe!!

Ingredients

4 1/2-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (2 to 2 3/4 pounds), fat trimmed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, whites sliced, greens cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cornbread, for serving (optional – see cornbread pudding blog entry under side dishes)

Note: I love a little extra gravy and mushrooms, so if you are like me, I might double the gravy ingredients (especially if you are making rice as a side dish – you can drizzle it on the meat and rice)

Directions

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper; sprinkle all over with 1 1/2 tablespoons flour. Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add the chops and cook until golden and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet between batches. Transfer the chops to a plate and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet; add the mushrooms, garlic, scallion whites and a pinch of salt and cook, without stirring, until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon flour and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and sour cream, bring to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens, about 1 more minute.

Divide the pork chops among plates. Drizzle any juices from the pork into the gravy; stir in the scallion greens and parsley. Season with salt and pepper; spoon over the pork. Serve with cornbread.

Recipe Source: Food Network

Picture Source: Food Network