Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce
Thick-cut chops seared hard in a screaming pan, then rested while a mustard and cream sauce comes together in the same fat.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
-
Pat the pork chops dry and season heavily with salt and pepper on both sides.
-
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers.
-
Lay in the chops and leave them alone until a deep brown crust forms on the first side, about 4 minutes.
-
Flip, add the butter, garlic, and thyme, and tilt the pan to spoon the foaming butter over the chops until the second side is browned and the centers read 145°F.
-
Transfer the chops to a plate to rest.
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Pour the stock into the same pan and scrape up the browned bits until the bottom of the pan is clean.
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Simmer until reduced by half, then whisk in the cream and mustard and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
-
Return any juices from the resting plate to the pan, spoon the sauce over the chops, and finish with parsley.
Notes
Don’t move the chops once they hit the pan — the crust that forms in those four untouched minutes is the only seasoning the sauce gets, and a pale chop makes a thin, flat one. Pull the chops at 145°F rather than cooking to gray throughout; a few minutes of resting finishes the job without drying out the meat.
Whole-grain mustard leaves texture in the sauce; swap in Dijon if you want it smooth. Spoon the whole thing over mashed potatoes or a pile of polenta so nothing gets left on the plate.