Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce

I always consider pork, particularly when accompanied by apples or leeks (or both) to be a fall dish, but with a lot of leeks hanging out in my fridge, I thought today just might be a good day to give this combination another try. I had long been interested in a recipe that I saw on Epicurious, adapting it to make it my own. This recipe is a bit of work, but not as much as it would appear. I did my prep work early in the day, and this all went together during the seventh inning of the ball game, when things were tense, and my attention was divided. They still turned out wonderfully flavorful and delicious!

Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce

Adapted from epicurious.com

2 1½”-thick pork chops

RUB:

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon freshly ground Melissa’s lemon pepper

2 bacon slices, coarsely chopped

Olive oil (optional)

2 cups thinly sliced Melissa’s leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 large)

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup brandy

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pat chops dry with paper towels. Mix rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on both sides of chops. Let stand at room temperature 1 to 2 hours or wrap and chill up to 1 day.

Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and sauté until crisp and lightly browned. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to small bowl. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chops to skillet. Sear until brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate; keep warm.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet (or add olive oil to make 2 tablespoons). Add leeks and sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Add brandy, then broth and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return bacon to skillet; add sage and stir to blend.

Nestle chops in leeks in skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 3 minutes. Turn chops over. Cover; simmer until thermometer inserted into thickest part of chops registers 140°F to 145°F, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chops to platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm.

Spoon off any fat from cooking liquid in skillet. Boil until liquid reduces by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in mustard and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chops.

PRINT RECIPE

Looking for something simpler? Try these Pork Chops au Poivre.

This post is linked to:

Pink Saturday
Snickerdoodle Create Bake & Create

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

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