Pork and mustard are best friends. A good pork sandwich with
a smear of strong whole grain or a roast ham with a sweet, honey mustard glaze
are both classic examples. In the bistro, mustards were a common accompaniment to
different cured meats and so were readily available for other uses. In this
recipe it is slowly braised with pork. The simmer of the sauce mellows the
mustard and a touch of cream at the very end makes it very smooth. There are
many different varieties of mustard, from dry seeds, sour whole grain, acidic
yellow and the one used in this recipe: Dijon. Made using wine, the deep flavor
of the mustard works well as a sauce base.
The stove top braise is a classic technique in the French bistro
and works well with all types of tougher proteins. Some examples:
- An older chicken sautéed and then braised in wine with vegetables is a coq au vin.
- Meat sautéed and then braised in red wine and stock with vegetables is a beef bourguignon.
They all are cooked the same way: brown the meat in oil or
butter and then remove from the pan, cook any vegetables you would like to
include in the leftover oil, deglaze with a liquid and add the meat back to the
pan, simmer until tender. This recipe is perhaps the simplest of all as the
vegetables are cooked separately. This also allows nothing to come between the
pork and the mustard sauce, which means great flavor.
I chose to serve the braised pork with some sautéed carrots,
brussel sprout leaves and roasted potatoes. These are all seasonal but could be
swapped out for a light salad, smooth mashed potatoes or a crunchy apple and
cabbage slaw (apple and pork and mustard, are an amazing flavor combo). I love letting
the leftover pork sit in the mustard sauce overnight in the fridge. Sliced thin
the next day on some good bread with a little cheese broiled on top, delicious!
Ingredients for Pork with Mustard Sauce:
2 pork blade steaks, cut in half, bone removed (a fatty cut
works better, lean pork chops might go tough during the braise)
2 ½ Tbsp butter
2 ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard, I used chardonnay mustard
2/3 cup water
2 Tbsp cream
Method:
- Marinate pork in a splash of wine, splash of oil, pinch of pepper and salt. Throw some herbs in if you're feeling particularly bold.
- Melt butter on medium high in a pan large enough to hold all the pork in a single layer. Brown the pork in the butter, about 2 min each side.
- Thoroughly stir the mustard into the water and add to the pan with the browned pork.
- Bring the pan to the boil, cover and cook at a low simmer for 15-20 mins flipping the pork once or twice to make sure the sauce evenly coats the pieces.
- Remove the pork from the pan, set aside and bring the sauce to a rolling boil. Reduce by half, about 7 mins. It should coat the back of a spoon. Stir often so the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir the cream into the pan juices, season with salt and pepper and spoon over the pork.
Ingredients for Potato, Carrot and Brussel Sprout Sauté:
5 or 6 new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1” chunks
Small piece of Pancetta or Bacon, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
3 small carrots, diced
Wineglass of white wine
6 or 7 brussel sprouts, rinsed, cored removed and leaves
stripped
Squirt of lemon juice
Method:
- Place potatoes in cold salted water and bring to a rolling boil until tender. Drain; toss with a little bit of butter and leave to roast in a 350⁰ oven until the other vegetables are done. Every once in a while toss to make sure they are nice and golden.
- While the pork is cooking, preheat a pan over medium high with a splash of oil. Sauté the pancetta and garlic for a minute or two.
- Toss in the carrots, fry for another min or two, deglaze with wine and cover. Cook until carrots are tender.
- Remove the lid and add the brussel sprout leaves, stirring to cook about 4 mins.
- Toss in the potatoes, add a splash of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and cover until pork is done.
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