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Betty Jane's Braised Pork Chops with Port Gravy

Source of Recipe

From "Pig: King of the Southern Table" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"The lady in Richmond, Virginia, who prided herself on these rather fancy pork chops believed firmly that they hark back to colonial days, when so much pork was served with either a Madeira or port wine gravy. Betty Jane flavored the chops with fresh rosemary or sage leaves, but she warned (correctly) that overdoing the herbs by as little as ½ teaspoon could virtually destroy the succulent flavor of both the meat and gravy. This is one time when a dried herb should not be substituted for the fresh. After about 45 minutes of braising, prick the chops with a small knife to see if they're already tender but still moist inside."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
â—¦ 4 pork loin chops, about ¾ inch thick
â—¦ 3 tablespoons butter
â—¦ 1 cup beef broth
â—¦ ¼ cup port wine
â—¦ Sprigs of watercress for garnish


Recipe

On a plate, combine and mix together the flour, rosemary, and salt and pepper; dredge the pork chops in the mixture, shaking off excess flour, and place the chops on another plate.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat, add the chops, and brown on both sides. Add the broth, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer till the chops are very tender, about 1 hour.

Transfer the chops to a serving platter, increase the heat under the skillet to moderate, add the port, and reduce the liquid till nicely thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, swirl till melted and well incorporated, and spoon the gravy over the chops.

Serve the hot chops garnished with sprigs of watercress.

Makes 4 servings