Pork Chops with Mustard-Sage Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 13, 2011
Time
35 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Sauce
1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 medium clove garlic, minced¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves Salt and ground black pepperBefore You Begin
In this recipe, “natural” pork chops—not “enhanced”—work best; the liquid injected into enhanced pork inhibits browning. Electric burners are slower to heat than gas burners, so, if using one, begin heating the burner before seasoning the chops. When cooking the first side of the chops, use color as an indicator of when to flip them; to determine doneness, use an instant-read thermometer—do not go solely by cooking times.
Instructions
- If using electric stove, turn burner to medium heat. Rub both sides of each chop with 1/8 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of each chop evenly with 1/8 teaspoon sugar, avoiding the bone.
- Place chops, sugared-side down, in 12-inch nonstick skillet (as shown in illustration 2). Using hands, press meat of each chop into pan. Set skillet with chops over medium heat; cook until lightly browned, 4 to 9 minutes (chops should be sizzling after 2 minutes; if not, see "Do You Hear What I Hear" technique below). Using tongs, flip chops, positioning them in same manner. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until center of each chop registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 3 to 6 minutes (begin checking temperature—as shown in illustrated 3—after 2 minutes); chops will barely brown on second side. Transfer chops to platter, tent with foil, and let rest.
- Pour liquid in skillet into small bowl. While chops are resting, add vegetable oil and garlic to now-empty skillet; set skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add low-sodium chicken broth; increase heat to high and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add pork chop juices to skillet. Off heat, whisk in Dijon mustard and butter until combined. Stir in sage and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; spoon sauce over chops and serve immediately.
Time
35 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a pork chop recipe that would produce juicy, tender pork chops quickly, we passed over hefty chops in favor of 1/2-inch-thick, bone-in rib chops. For juicy meat, we placed the chops in a cold pan over medium heat, then covered them. Although starting meat in a cold pan sounds odd, if not downright weird, we found that this unconventional method was the key to a foolproof, quick-cooking, weeknight pork chop recipe.
Before You Begin
In this recipe, “natural” pork chops—not “enhanced”—work best; the liquid injected into enhanced pork inhibits browning. Electric burners are slower to heat than gas burners, so, if using one, begin heating the burner before seasoning the chops. When cooking the first side of the chops, use color as an indicator of when to flip them; to determine doneness, use an instant-read thermometer—do not go solely by cooking times.
Instructions
- If using electric stove, turn burner to medium heat. Rub both sides of each chop with 1/8 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of each chop evenly with 1/8 teaspoon sugar, avoiding the bone.
- Place chops, sugared-side down, in 12-inch nonstick skillet (as shown in illustration 2). Using hands, press meat of each chop into pan. Set skillet with chops over medium heat; cook until lightly browned, 4 to 9 minutes (chops should be sizzling after 2 minutes; if not, see "Do You Hear What I Hear" technique below). Using tongs, flip chops, positioning them in same manner. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until center of each chop registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 3 to 6 minutes (begin checking temperature—as shown in illustrated 3—after 2 minutes); chops will barely brown on second side. Transfer chops to platter, tent with foil, and let rest.
- Pour liquid in skillet into small bowl. While chops are resting, add vegetable oil and garlic to now-empty skillet; set skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add low-sodium chicken broth; increase heat to high and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add pork chop juices to skillet. Off heat, whisk in Dijon mustard and butter until combined. Stir in sage and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; spoon sauce over chops and serve immediately.
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