Friday, February 11, 2011

Pork Chops and Root Veggie Mash


We didn't have pork chops in our house when I was growing up, so this is a food that is still new to me. I have found it easy to overcook and make tough. But then I was introduced to cooking it in the pressure cooker -- and, voila! Perfect pork chops every time. As an added bonus, I've created a recipe that produces one of your side dishes at the same time, and infuses it with the pork juices. It's an easy weekday dinner that is ready in a jiffy. I add steamed kale or a salad to round out the meal.
  • 4 1-inch thick pork chops
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt, pepper, and seaweed salt replacer (if you have it)
  • 2/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine (or 1/3 cup more chicken stock if you prefer)
  • 2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut 1/8-inch thick
  • 1 large sweet potato (equivalent to 2 medium potatoes), peeled and cut 1/8-inch thick
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 onion, chopped or sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, quartered
  1. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and season with salt, pepper and seaweed salt replacer. Brown both sides, then remove from pan.
  2. Add stock and wine to pressure cooker and scrape loose any browned pork bits.
  3. Add veggies and garlic, then top with browned pork chops.
  4. Close lid and bring cooker to full pressure according to your cooker's instructions.
  5. Cook at 15 psi for 10 minutes, then release pressure.
  6. Remove pork chops to plates to serve. Mash remaining ingredients together and taste to see if more seasoning is needed (I usually don't need to add anything).
Note that if your pork chops are not 1-inch thick you will need to adjust the cooking time. You can experiment with other vegetables in this dish -- parsnips give it a whole different flavour!

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