Dijon Pork Cutlets & Roasted Parmesan Cheese Broccoli

My husband has been in the meat business his entire career; specifically the pork industry. So, even though pork hasn't always been my favorite center-of-the-plate item, it is something that I have worked with over the years to keep him happy at the dinner table. He is a raging bacon fanatic, and loves to cook up massive breakfasts, with pounds and pounds of bacon on the weekends and holidays. But, for dinner, which is my domain, I have developed a few recipes that feature pork. This recipe is one of our favorites, and it calls for boneless pork chops.

Basically that's a boneless pork loin that I cut into 6 oz. portions. For an especially lean but tender cutlet, I recommend buying a "pork tenderloin." This is the smaller "loin" weighing about 2 lbs. or less. Just ask your butcher to point out the difference between the pork loin, and the pork tenderloin if you get confused at the meat counter.

So, with the pork tenderloin, you can cut the same 6 oz. portions. (Slicing hint: pop the fresh tenderloin in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you slice it. This "tempering" will create a firm outer rim to the loin, making it easy to cut nice clean even portions. -My husband did this work in a production line in a meat processing facility while putting himself through college. He was known as a 'Master-Stick' man at the plant; all the folks on the slicing crew requested him to "man the sticks" because of his deft touch and ability to get them 'just right.'- This works for any raw, solid muscle meat item: chicken breasts, steaks, loins, hamburger in a tube, etc.) Then, take your portions, place a plastic wrap over the pieces, and pound the filets with a meat mallet, a few times on each side to thin them out and break up the muscle fibers to make them even tenderer.



Dijon Pork-serves 4
Ingredients:
Pork cutlets (I like the Hatfield Simply Tender pork) 4/ 6 oz. boneless center cut chops
1 TBS of dry mustard
3 tbs. of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2tbs. of Dijon mustard

-Season pork chops with salt pepper and dry mustard patting firmly into cutlet
-In a large fry pan over med high heat, melt 3 tbs. of butter, add more if desired
-Cook chops turning once until a golden brown appearance approximately 8 minutes
-Remove chops from pan- reduce to medium heat; add chopped onions-cook by stirring for 1 minute
-Add wine and broth, stirring to scrape brown bits from pan
-Add cream and Dijon mustard-cook stirring until smooth and bubbling -approximately 1 minute
-Return chops and all juices to pan-cook by simmering over low heat for 2-3 minutes
-Serve over wild rice with roasted broccoli (see below)

Roasted Parmesan Cheese Broccoli
Ingredients:
2 broccoli crowns
Olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

-Chop 2 broccoli crowns
-Place in a shallow pan, place chopped broccoli
-Drizzle with olive oil
-Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes or until browning

-While the broccoli is baking, place garlic and cheese in bowl
-When cooked add broccoli to bowl, toss with cheese and garlic
-Place back in pan and return to oven until cheese is melted- 2-3 minutes

Works just as well with Cauliflower or asparagus

So, there you have it: a few tricks to get the most tender pork cutlets possible, and dinner for Saturday night. With this wonderful combination, maybe your man will get up early Sunday and put on the bacon and eggs and let you enjoy a breakfast in bed.

-Hope you enjoy, Kristy