For His Master's Veneration: Chops Baked in Mushrooms

Forget the chewy and dry pork chops of your youth! This simple way to bake the chops keeps them tender and juicy. Start with an ancient Chinese treatment of cornstarch called “velveting”. Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking. Start them on the stove; finish them in the oven. Add stock to prevent the meat from drying out in the oven. Cook low and slow. Buy a meat thermometer — it doesn’t have to be expensive. AND Let it rest.

This simple recipe will reward you with great flavor. With it's easy mushroom gravy that stretches some noodles and a quick green vegetable into a luxurious dinner experience. Eat your heart out cooking channel! You've got this in the bag!

Ingredients:

2 TBS butter

2 TBS oil

1 clove garlic

3 thick chops

salt & pepper to taste

1 8oz package of mushrooms

2 cups beef broth

1 TBS cornstarch

½ half & half.

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Egg noodles

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For velveting:

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS cornstarch

2 TBS sesame oil.

1 egg white

Directions:

Start velveting the pork chops:

Mix: soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil (or other oil) and egg white.

Trim the fat off the pork chops and any cut into the band of gristle on the edge that might cause the chop to curl. Press the chops into this mixture.

Cover and let sit on counter top for half an hour.

Make sure your dutch oven fits into the oven first!

Preheat oven to 275 degrees, spray a dutch oven and set aside.

Rinse the mushrooms well and bump in the microwave for about 3 mins to start the cooking process.

Meanwhile, in an open faced bowl mix 1 cup of flour with 1 TBS old bay seasonings, and ½ tsp each of salt & pepper.

Wipe each chop off with a paper towel and roll into the flour mixture.

Heat 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Let the chops brown for about 4 mins on each side. Remove to the prepared dutch oven.

Pour the mushrooms into the skillet with the pork grease. Pour in the beef broth, scraping up any bits of pork chop that might be on the bottom. Let this boil until everything is loose, then pour over the chops in the dutch oven.

Cover with foil and cover with lid.

Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. The carefully remove the foil & lid, then continue to bake for another 15 mins. (one hour total). Until the internal temperature of the chops has reached 145 degrees F.

While the chops are baking, cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Then drain.

Remove the chops from the dutch oven to a serving platter and loosely tent with foil to let rest.

While the meat rests, microwave a green vegetable for a side.

Put the dutch oven on a burner over medium high heat.

Mix the cornstarch into the half & half until combined well. Pour this into the cooked mushrooms and slowly stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over the chops to serve.