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Pork Chops with Rich Caper-Lemon Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Jubilee" by Toni Tipton-Martin


Recipe Introduction

"Chef Nathaniel Burton learned about the masters of Creole and French culinary classics�including Escoffier�while clearing tables as a busboy at the Hotel New Orleans. He went on to refine his skills at the Hotel Pontchartrain and Broussard's before teaching the Culinary Institute of America's apprentice cooks. He told the fascinating life stories and shared imaginative recipes from some of Louisiana's best chefs in Creole Feast: Fifteen Master Chefs of New Orleans Reveal Their Secrets. To update the many homestyle dishes black cooks recorded in their books, I turned to Burton's collection of recipes. Caper sauce caught my eye. Burton's is a classic, roux-based gravy with capers and vinegar added for punch. I exchanged his lamb with bone-in pork loin chops because the bits of fat near the bone make the meat flavorful and juicy. I replaced the vinegar with lemon juice and zest, as suggested in B. Smith Cooks Southern-Style, and simmered stock and butter together for a velvety-smooth emulsion. I love this sauce so much that I also serve it on pan-roasted veal chops."

List of Ingredients

◦ 4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each)
◦ 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
◦ � teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
◦ � teaspoon dried thyme
◦ 2 tablespoons olive oil
◦ 4 tablespoons (� stick) butter, at room temperature
◦ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
◦ 1 tablespoon minced shallot
◦ 1 � teaspoons all-purpose flour
◦ 1 cup white wine
◦ 1 � cups chicken stock
◦ 2 tablespoons capers, drained
◦ 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
◦ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
◦ � teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
◦ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400� F.

Place the chops on a board and pat dry with paper towels. Season with the salt, pepper, and thyme, rubbing with your fingers to press the seasonings into the meat. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chops and cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the chops registers 145� F, 5 to 7 minutes, depending upon the thickness. Remove the chops from the oven, transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm. Drain off and discard the fat.

In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter until sizzling. Add the garlic and shallot and saut� until tender, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce (if using), and parsley and simmer one to two minutes more. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan � tablespoon at a time, shaking the pan between additions until the butter melts and the sauce looks smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the pan-roasted chops and serve.

Serves 4




❧ Smothered Pork Chops:
(From "A Good Heart and a Light Hand" by Ruth Gaskins, 1968)

Dip the chops in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Have � inch of shortening very hot, but not smoking, in an iron skillet. Fry, uncovered, on both sides until they are brown and crispy. Chops should be fried quickly but thoroughly by keeping the shortening hot and the heat around medium.