Mustard Pork Chops

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings

I love the old French favourites, the sorts that evoke not the
supercilious waiter and theatrically-removed silvered dome of the big
name restaurants, but rather the small town bistro, all warm wood and
rough red.

This is possibly the easiest route to a proper, filling and yet
strangely delicate dinner. The pork is cooked for just enough time to
take away pinkness but ensure tenderness within, and gloriously
scorched without. The mustard, cider and cream add comfort and
piquancy. To soak up the gorgeous juices, and to serve as a
fantastically quicktime potato substitute, I serve up gnocchi
alongside. You could always add a little lemony fennel, sliced thinly,
or a green salad if you're in the mood. - Nigella

Ingredients

2 pork chops, about 1-pound total weight
2 teaspoons infused oil
1/2 cup hard cider
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

Cut the fat or rind off the chops, and then bash them briefly but
brutally with a rolling pin between 2 pieces of cling film/plastic
wrap to make them thinner.

Heat the oil in a pan, and then cook the chops over a moderately-high
heat for about 5 minutes a side. Remove them to a warmed plate.

Pour the cider into the pan, still over the heat, to deglaze the pan.
Let it bubble away for a minute or so then add the mustard and stir in
the cream.

Let the sauce continue cooking for a few minutes before pouring over
each plated pork chop. If you're having gnocchi with, make sure you
turn them in the pan to absorb any spare juices before adding them to
your plates.

Cook's Note:

Wholegrain mustard

In wholegrain mustard, the seeds are not ground, but mixed whole with
other ingredients. Different flavors and strengths can be achieved by
using different blends of mustard seed species. Some variations have
additives such as sun-dried tomato mustard and chili mustard. - wikipedia

Crunchy Pork Chops with Garlicky Spinach and Tomato Salad

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

Pork chops:

* 2 pork chops, approximately 8 ounces each
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup bread crumbs
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
* 1 cup ground nut oil or similar, for frying

Garlicky spinach and tomato salad:

* 3 medium tomatoes
* 1/2 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 4 cups baby spinach leaves
* Salt and pepper

Directions

Trim the thick white fat off the pork chops, cutting carefully around
the outside edge. Lay the chops between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and,
using a mallet or a rolling pin beat them until the meaty part of the
chop is half as thick. You will need to beat around the bone, so turn
them over once as you go.

Beat the egg in a shallow wide bowl with the mustard, oregano, and
salt and pepper. On a large plate or platter, combine the breadcrumbs
with the Parmesan.

Press each of the chops into the egg mixture, coating either side.
Then dip the eggy chops into the bread crumbs, covering them evenly.
Let them lie on a cooling rack to dry slightly while you heat the oil
in a large frying pan. When a small cube of bread sizzles if dropped
into the oil, then the oil is hot enough. Cook the chops until they
are a deep golden color, about 5 to 7 minutes a side (depending on how
thin you've managed to get them and how cold they were before going in
the oil).

Meanwhile, quarter the tomatoes and take out the seeds, then cut the
shells into strips and dice them. You can take off the skins, too, if
you prefer, by steeping the tomatoes first into a bowl of just boiled
water for 3 to 5 minutes. Combine the diced tomato, minced or grated
garlic, oil, and lemon juice in a bowl, and season well with salt and
pepper.

When the chops are ready, toss the spinach in the tomato mixture until
well coated and divide the salad between 2 large plates, putting each
chop alongside.

From: foodnetwork.com