I made this for our Saturday dinner. A recipe by Nigella Lawson from the “Nigella Express” collection.  The surprise of the day was that my daughter who’s rarely if ever eats meat these days, asked for seconds.  You cannot omit the sauce because it makes all the difference. Here’s how I made it. In the the ‘notes and tips’ I mention what is different in the book.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds very thin pork chops, no bones
• enough olive oil to coat the pan
• 1-2 cloves mushed garlic (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1/2 cup Marshala wine
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

How to make: Wash and pat the chops dry. If they are not very thin, use a rolling pin to press them thin (placing the chops in between two pieces of plastic wrap).  Coat a big pan with olive oil and heat it well.  Saute the garlic for a minute or two to release its aroma in the oil. Cook the chops at high temperature for about 5 minutes per side. Be sure to not crowd the chops in the pan. Repeat until all the chops are cooked. Remove them and keep them in a plate. Pour the cider and wine in the pan and deglaze the pan. Stir for a minute or two until the liquids reach boiling temperature. Add the mustard seeds. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the cream. Cook for a few more minutes until the sauce becomes nice and creamy. I added a tablespoon of corn flour dissolved in a tablespoon of water.  See the notes and tips for an explanation. Pour over the chops and serve.

Notes and tips: Nigella’s recipe calls for whole-grain mustard, not mustard seeds. I used mustard seeds a) because I didn’t have whole-grain mustard, and b) because I wanted a milder dish, that would be pleasant for younger mouths.  The sauce indeed was mild but I had to add corn flour because the seeds do not thicken the sauce. Apple cider and Marshala wine were my substitutions for Nigella’s  recommendation for hard cider. Finally, I sauted garlic in the oil instead of using garlic oil.