This was the second time we’ve made these pork chops and they are really luscious. They do best with bone-in chops, as those stay moist longer than the boneless ones. We’ve served this with a wild rice-lentil blend and with egg noodles.
Braised Pork Chops with Tomatoes, Cream, and Porcini Mushrooms
1/4 C olive oil
2 lb pork chops, preferably from the center loin, cut 3/4-inch thick
1/2 C dry white wine
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
Reconstitute the porcini by soaking them for 30 minutes in 1 C warm water. Drain the mushrooms, saving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop them. Strain the liquids through a sieve lined with paper towel, and retain.
Choose a saute pan that can subsequently accommodate all the chops without overlapping. Put in 2 T of the oil, turn on the heat to medium high, and when the oil is hot, slip in the chops. Brown the meat deeply on both sides, turning once.
Add the white wine, letting it simmer briskly for 15-20 seconds while using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom. Add the tomatoes, cream, pepper, and the reconstituted porcini, along with its filtered liquid. Turn the heat down to cook at a very low simmer and cover the pan, setting the lid slightly ajar.
Cook for 45 minutes or more, depending on the thickness of the chops, until the meat feels tender when prodded with a fork, turning periodically. When the chops are done, remove to a platter and cover, while you turn up the heat on the sauce and reduce it to a thick, creamy consistency. Serve with something to mop up all that gorgeous sauce.
Source: Adapted from Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
