Pork is something we do eat, but not nearly often enough as mid-week meal. We eat quite a bit in Spain; I make a paella with spinach and chorizo that requires pork loin medallions, and Adam makes Pinchitos (like little kebabs) with pork marinated in cumin and paprika – also when we’re in Spain.
But at home, if we do eat pork it’s often a leg joint at the weekend, or pork belly if we’re feeling adventurous, maybe in a Chinese style. When we were kids, my mum used to cook pork chops quite a bit – and I loved them, still do!
So when I was approached to make a midweek pork recipe, I couldn’t wait to make something delicious and quick for the family. I immediately thought of the type of thing my mum used to cook; a nice chop. But you can get pork loin steaks or great lean low fat pork medallions these days, which are quick to cook – perfect as a mid-week meal for the kids. Then there would always be a sauce and a veg… Normally potatoes with it too. However, I am IN LOVE with sachets of brown rice as a fabulous midweek quick cook go-to side, so for this recipe, I did this instead.
I’m obsessed with retro creamy garlic mushrooms with parsley – over pasta it’s amazing, or on good quality toasted white bread, or on jackets even. In this recipe, it works so well as a sauce for pork chops, with dried porcini added for extra oomph; the intense mushroomy flavour from the soaked porcini is amazing – such a great store cupboard ingredient. Very easy to get too in all the supermarkets.
It went down a total treat – with both kids – and Adam. Unprompted, he said it reminded him of teas he used to have. It’s a Proper Dinner if that makes sense? And totally doable midweek. I also think it’s nice enough to make for friends. Try it and see what you think.
For more pork inspired recipes visit LovePork.co.uk
Makes: enough for 4 people
Takes: Under half an hour
Ingredients:
10g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 30 mins in mugful of boiling water (don’t throw away the liquid!)
4 pork loin steaks (mine were quite thick) trimmed of fat or pork medallions
Tablespoon olive oil
Knob butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
300ml creme fraiche
Handful of fresh chopped parsley
Serve with: green beans and microwave brown rice
Method:
- Soak the porcini mushrooms in half a mugful of boiling water. Set aside.
- Heat a heavy bottom frying pan. Add some oil. Season the steaks. Fry for about 5 or 6 mins on each side if they are thick like mine, less if they are thin (3 mins each side), adding a knob of butter to add flavour too.
- Remove and set to one side to rest. Remove porcinis and reserve liquid! Chop the porcinis finely.
- Add onion and garlic to pan and soften for 5 mins. Then add mushrooms and porcinis too. Stir about to get some colour and soften – a few more mins.
- Tip in the porcini liquid but not the last bit in the bowl as they can leave some fine grit in the bottom. This is normal.
- Turn up the heat and add the creme fraiche. Heat through, season to taste. Add parsley. Now pop the chops back in and warm through for a minute.
- Serve with brown rice and green beans.
