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This is a simple recipe they is not difficult to pull together on short notice. But a good cut of meat does make all the difference. This recipe serves two. Goes great with a nice medium or light bodied Linot Noir.
ingredients:
- 1 pork loin chop — thick, big enough for two (just over 1 pound)
- salt/pepper
- avocado oil or other high-heat oil for the pan
- 1-2 shallots, minced (about 2/3 of a cup)
- 1/3 cup white wine, or a splash of brandy, cognac, or cider
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4-5 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
- 1 cup fresh grapes, sliced in half
Recipe:
- Lightly salt the pork chop on both sides. Heat a heavy/thick pan over medium-high heat and drizzle about 1/4 inch oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the pork chop in the hot oil and don’t move the meat for about 8 minutes to ensure it is cooked to a golden brown. Turn the chop over and, if it’s quite a thick chop, put a lid on the pan to help it cook all the way through — you don’t want the meat to be overly pink inside when you serve it.
- Once it is well browned on both sides and cooked through, set the chop aside and mop up some of the oil from the pan with a paper towel before proceeding. Put the minced shallot into the remaining oil over medium heat and stir until the shallots are softened, but not browned.
- Deglaze the pan with a generous splash of your choice of white wine, brandy, cognac, or cider, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan into the liquid as it cooks down. Add the heavy cream and turn up the heat a little to help it thicken as you stir the sauce. Add the tarragon and grapes, turn off the heat, and put the lid back on the pan while you slice the pork chop for plating.
Put a generous amount of sauce onto a plate and arrange the pork slices on top. This is a richer dish and would pair nicely with some light and healthy steamed broccoli.
