Fast Food: Mustard Caper Pork Chops

This is one of my favorite fast food dinners and a nice way to end a blustery autumn day.  Start to finish, this takes about thirty minutes but looks much fancier.  Sear the pork while the vegetables steam and you set the table.   Dress the squash with a pat of butter and brown sugar.   Enjoy.

Tomorrow night Skogen Lane comes alive with ghost and ghoulies.  Our neighbors host a soup and bread dinner and off we go as witches (2) and a skeleton and Ariel.  I suspect folks will wonder if we’ve kidnapped the little mermaid.  We’ll pillage and trick, prowl and treat and end the night at a bonfire with champagne for the grown ups and a candy free-for-all for the kiddies.

Happy Halloween!

 

Pork Chops with Mustard Caper Sauce

From: Food and Wine magazine. This is a fast and easy weeknight dinner that is impressive enough for company.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 -9 ounce pork loin chops

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ½ cups chicken stock

1/3 cup drained capers

½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, add them to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat until well browned, 5 minutes per each side. Transfer the pork chops to a large late and cover loosely with foil.

Add the stock, capers and chopped rosemary to the skillet and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about five minutes. Return the pork chops to the pan and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chops to 4 plates. Whisk the mustard and butter into the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mustard-caper sauce over the chops and serve.