If you don't think fancy cooking can be easy on your wallet, think again! These pork chops with balsamic reduction will have you breaking out the white tablecloth. Rosemary, Dijon, and shallots lend a wonderful depth of flavor to the pork.
4 thick-cut pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons finely chopped feathery rosemary leaves, divided in half
olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 large shallots, minced
1/2 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Take half the rosemary and place it in a small bowl. Moisten the rosemary with a little olive oil, then rub it into the pork chops. Place the chops in a baking pan and roast in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, turning them midway through the cooking.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a small skillet set over medium-high heat. When melted and warmed, stir in the shallots and cook until they soften, about 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining rosemary and cook a minute or two. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring well, until the vinegar starts to thicken, about 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook another couple of minutes.
When the chops are done, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a platter. Remove the shallot sauce from the heat and very briskly stir in the Dijon mustard. To serve, pour the sauce over the chops.
dani_02
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reviews & comments
February 20, 2010
Outstanding recipe. The sauce isn't the prettiest in the world, so bear that in mind if cooking for company or to impress, but the flavors are rich and complex. Of course, this recipe uses one of my very favorite ingredients, balsamic vinegar. I also made the German-Style Potato Salad with Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar from this site for the same meal. While the two dishes complemented each other wonderfully, each required too many steps to make doing them simultaneously a great idea. Not either recipe's fault - my own lack of foresight... but I was on a balsamic kick tonight.