Pork Chops au Poivre

This was a new recipe for pork chops - simple cooking process, tasty sauce. I'll make this again.

Pork Chops au Poivre
(Eating Well magazine, Feb 09)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt, divided

4 4-oz boneless pork chops, 1/2" thick, trimmed

3 TBS all-purpose flour

2 TBS olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1/2 C brandy

1/4 C sour cream

1.) Combine pepper and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Pat the mixture onto both sides of each pork chop.
Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chops, shaking off any excess.

2.) Heat oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add the chops, reduce heat to medium and cook until browned and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate and tent w/ foil to keep warm.

Here is the minced shallot - a small, mild onion. The one I used was about the size of a golf ball.

3.) Reduce heat to med-low. Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute.

Add brandy and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1-2 minutes.

Here it is just after adding the liquid:

After reducing by about half:Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and remaining 1/4 tsp of salt.

Serve the pork chops with the sauce.

Per serving: 299 calories, 15 g fat, 3 g carbs

These were served with roasted sweet potato slices and steamed broccoli.

I simply washed the sweet potato and sliced about 1/2" thick, put them in a zipper bag with a TBS or so of olive oil, a little salt, and a little pepper. Seal the bag and smoosh them all around so every slice gets oil and seasoning. Then I put them in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. This is about the only way I like sweet potatoes. They went great with the chops!
For the broccoli, I used a zip 'n steam bag in the microwave.

To make this a "cook ahead" or "freezer" dish, here's what I'd do: cook the pork chops as directed, cool, and bag. Make the sauce as directed, but do not add the sour cream. Bag the sauce mixture with the chops. When you're ready to serve the meal, thaw everything and warm the chops in the oven (only enough to heat them through). Heat the sauce mixture, then add the sour cream before serving.

There was one "oops", when I made this. I thought I had a bottle of brandy in the cupboard, but when I went to gather my ingredients this afternoon, there wasn't one. Greg stopped at the liquor store on the way home and got me what I call a "little airplane bottle" of brandy. I was thinking I only needed 2 TBS. so I only had him get one. I should have had two. So the brandy got watered down a little to make 1/2 cup. The sauce will be even better next time when I use the correct amount of booze. :o)

*Tonight's prep for tomorrow's supper: soak beans, thaw roast*