Dinner Tonight: Pork Chop with Modern Soubise
Modern soubise? I wasn't even acquainted with the old soubise until I found this recipe in James Peterson's Sauces. I only picked it because it was advertised as a perfect topping for pork chops. The original sauce is apparently a stewed-onion mixture with some béchamel thrown in that is cooked for an hour and half, then finished with heavy cream and butter. This modern version forgoes the béchamel, and focuses on a onion purée that can be whipped up in 15 minutes. This is then strained and added to the drippings leftover from cooking the pork chops.
I'm sure nearly any sauce would have gone well with these guys. I found these double-thick ones at my local butcher. When I cooked them up, the outside turned nearly the color of well-browned bacon, and after a quick finish in the oven, they remained nice and juicy inside. I'm not sure why I thought I needed any sauce at all. But I'm so glad I found this one.
Taking some cues from the notes in Sauces, I added a little tomato paste to the soubise and deglazed the pan with wine instead of stock. But the rest of it is really straightforward, as the small number of ingredients attests to. It just didn't taste like it.
Pork Chop with Modern Soubise
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
For the stewed-onion purée:
1 pound onions, peeled and sliced
1 ounce butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon tomato paste
For the pork chops:
2 pork chops
1 1/2 tablespoons Canola oil
1/4 cup red wine
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion slices, and cook until they have turned translucent and all the water has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir constantly to keep them from browning. Pour in the heavy cream and add the tomato paste. Stir until incorporated. Transfer to a blender; process until smooth. Strain through a metal sieve. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 500°F. Pour the oil into a large iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, and cook for about 3 minutes a side. Check their temperature. If still below 160°F, transfer to oven and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more. Flip halfway through. When temperature hits 160°F, remove chops and set aside.
3. Pour off all the fat from the skillet. Let the skillet cool for a minute, then set it over medium heat. Pour in the wine; raise heat to medium-high. Scrape bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, dislodging all those browned bits.
4. When wine has reduced by about one-forth, whisk in about 1 1/2 ounces of the stewed-onion purée. Season with salt and pepper. Serve pork chops with sauce drizzled on top.
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2 Comments:
One ounce butter?? Is that by weight or by volume?
mwainer at 6:33PM on 12/16/08
MY HUSBAND & I LOVED THIS DELICIOUSLY EASY, SLIGHTLY SWEET ONIONY ACCENT TO THICK, JUICY PORK CHOPS. IT'S ENTICING TO SMELL THOSE ONIONS SAUTEING AS WELL. WE HAD THE CHOPS PAIRED WITH ROBERT IRVINE'S RUTABAGA/CARROT MASH.........DELISH!
I AM AN AVID COOK, & I MUST ADMIT, FINISHING THE CHOPS IN THE OVEN WAS A NIFTY [NEW] IDEA FOR ME, ESPECIALLY SINCE I USED SUCH THICK CHOPS......THANKS! JUST PROVES YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!
MY ONLY RESERVATION, WHY SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE PUREE WHEN YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO USE 1-1/2 OZ. IN THE DRIZZLE?
I GUESS I WILL KEEP IT FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF CHOPS THIS WEEK.
jackie2830 at 6:50AM on 12/24/08