Burgundian Dijon Pork Chops

Chef Richard 4 Servings 1.5 hours

This modest little dish is a mainstay of many a Burgundian bistro where it is served with boiled or pan-fried potatoes. The few ingredients complement each other just right. Choose thick pork chops so they serve four people generously.

Ingredients

  • 4 thick pork chops
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 ounce piece of lean bacon, diced
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup veal or chicken stock, more if needed
  • A bouquet garni
  • ½ cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Bouquet garni: is a bundle of herbs usually tied together with string and mainly used to prepare soup, stock and various stews. The bouquet is boiled with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consuption.

  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme

Directions

  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Coat the pork chops with the flour, patting to remove any excess, and set them aside. Heat the oil in a sauté pan or deep frying pan with an ovenproof handle and fry the bacon until browned. Remove the bacon and set it aside. Add the chops to the pan and brown them well, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Pour in the wine and simmer with the chops for 2 minutes. Add the stock and the bouquet garni, and replace the bacon. Cover the pan, transfer it to the oven, and cook until the chops are very tender when pierced with a two pronged fork, 1 to 1¼ hours. Turn them from time to time, and add more stock if at any time the pan seems dry.
  • Transfer the chops to a warm serving dish or individual plates and keep them warm. Add the cream to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring to dissolve the pan juices. After 3 to 5 minutes, take the pan from the heat, discard the bouquet garni, and whisk in the mustard, parsley, salt , and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more mustard to your taste; don’t let the sauce come back to a boil once you’ve added the mustard. Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve them right away.