I had read the blog a couple times, but on Monday I started reading it from the beginning and found a couple interesting recipes that I thought I would try. Seeing as how I had four pork chops in the fridge defrosting and a pkg of mushrooms that needed to get used up I picked mushroom hash and this crazy version of pork chops. I don't usually like mushrooms that aren't stuffed with something but since using "julia's" method of "don't crowd the mushrooms when frying" they are very good. It wasn't the mushrooms that I didn't like, so much as soggy slimmy mushrooms, that I didn't enjoy. But nice and browned and carmelized they are actually very good.
the recipe ingredients on the blog:
1 pound mixed mushrooms (portabello, cremini, maitake, etc)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
Salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/2 cup white wine
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 pounds mixed small potatoes (fingerlings, boilers, etc)
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
It all started out fine....I only had one kind of mushroom, the white ones so I sliced them up and the baby potatoes were cut in half lengthwise once, twice then in half widthwise, so into eight's I quess. I steamed the potatoes, and fried up the mushrooms. Then actually started reading the recipe. I had no heavy cream hmmm I did have some greek yogurt with honey - that was about 3 weeks past the expiration date. And no sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar ( I couldn't find it anyway, I know I have some - but obviously not handy) . So when the potatoes almost done I started on the rest of it. I fried up the mushrooms nice and carmelized, then dumped them into a bowl while making the sauce. I poured in some white wine and threw in the garlic the thyme and swirled it around and around - it did not turn syrupy at all, just reduce to half. Then discarded half of the yogurt and the other half looked okay and tasted ok so I added about three tablespoons into the sauce and swirled it around then added all the potatoes and returned the mushrooms to the pan and turned it to the lowest setting - covered. I figured the tangy nessss of the yogurt would compensate for the sherry vinegar that I couldn't find. I had to go outside with a snow shovel to remove the snow from the parsley and low and behold---it was just fine. That was a nice surprise.
Just before I started the mushroom frying I put the pork chops on
I was very dubious---just salt and lemon. Didn't think it was going to amount to much. The only salt I had other than regular table salt was some old fancy crystalized stuff call veggie salt kinda yellow with god only knows what was in it. I've had it for years. I had to buy a salt grinder to use it. Don't know why I stopped using it, but I opened the glass container and sprinkled the whole salt stuff over the pork chops
The recipe in the blog said just salt and cook chops in a dry fryingpan. SO that's what I did. Still not convinced this was going to amount to anything other than a dry tough chop. Medium heat, don't turn them over until the salt has melted into the chop. It took awhile - and this would have been a good time to have one of those weight things that I had in the commercial kitchen cause chops have a tendency to curl up. So used the tongs to press them down every once in awhile.
Once the salt melted down I flipped them over. Hmmm they smelled promising and browned up nice without burning. I also made a "stinky salad" to go with the meal. That's greek salad. My dressing is a little different...in that I add lea and perrins and pesto and balsamic into the olive oil ---a lot of pesto--- and also a pinch or two of powdered chicken cup-of-soup stuff. It's just a concoction that I've always used and somehow it just doesn't taste as good without it all. Oh and a generous amount of greek mixed spice from lawery's or club house. I can't remember --- one of them--probably club house come to think of it. Shake the shit out of the dressing before adding to the cuc's, roma's, red pepper, feta and onions. I didn't have any olives. But it was still very good.
this picture doesn't do the meal justice. Once I plated the chops I poured a generous amount of fresh lemon juice over each one. I keep small flat bags of 1/4 cup each of lemon juice that I got awhile ago in the freezer. I must have juiced up close to 100 lemons about a month ago that went into the freezer. It has come in very handy. I think I paid about $3 for 100 lemons.
These chops were by far the best I've ever had....can one have a "salt" high ..next time I will reduce the amt of salt for sure. But when there's a glass of white wine ...it's all good with the salty nessss of the chop. I started out antisipating eating both of them. But thought I would keep one for another day. But after about an hour I started picking at a cold chop, slicing it every so thin and slopping the piece of meat around the dregs of the stinky salad juice. I eventually went to the fridge and dumped more salad on my plate and sliced up the cold chop into thin long slices and mixed it all up together.
Best snack I've had in a long time. I don't know if I will ever make chops any other way. They were so good. You must give them a try
