Maple-Mustard Pork Chops from Cooking Light

Last week, I caught the first episode of Masterchef and first challenge included pork chops. Whitney Miller from Mississippi is twenty-two years old and has never made pork chops before. She won the challenge. How can a young woman who has never made pork chops win the challenge? How come I don't make pork chops more? Pork tends to be a relatively cheap meat and if you choose the right cut, it can be really lean. The scary part about cooking pork chops for me is over-cooking it. I fear a dry pork chop.

Well, I fear no more. Marshall and I went to Harris Teeter and picked up two thick-cut pork chops. We went for the thick-cut because we figured there were less chances of drying them out. There are two things that I felt were key about cooking this dish. One, use a regular pan so that some of the juices and meat sticks to the pan a bit. This will give great flavor to the sauce. Two, I seared each side of the pork for 3 minutes each and then let the pan sit in the oven at 350F for 7 minutes. Since I seared each side, it helped keep the moisture in.

The maple-mustard sauce is amazing. This sauce is so simple and it compliments the pork chops very well. Its not too sweet and the mustard doesn't punch. This is definitely a dish I will be making for my friends.

Maple-Mustard Pork Chops
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

2 bone-in center-cut pork chops, thick-cut
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Sprinkle both sides of pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

2. Heat a oven-safe large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through, but with a slight blush in the center. Place pan in an oven for 7 minutes. Take pan out of oven and take pork chops out of pan. Place aside on a plate and cover with foil.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter to pan, swirling pan to coat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute. Stir in mustard, syrup, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick. Return pork to pan. (Add a bit of water to pan if the sauce is too thick) Cook pork 3 minute on each side or until thoroughly heated (be careful not to overcook pork). Serve pork with sauce. Garnish each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley.

The pork chops were $6.15 for two pieces. We had to pick up Dijon mustard which was $2.99 a jar. The green beans were frozen and $2.50 per bag. The mashed potatoes were made with Yukon Gold which was $3.99 per 5lb bag.