Cajun Pork Chops in Gravy Recipe
Seems like anything with added cayenne pepper is cajun thse days - but this recipe is especially good and has authentic roots. Highly-spiced pork chops (and you can substitute skinless chicken breasts for dietary considerationd and it will still be great) finished with a gravy made in the same pan. Add a side of rice or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable or salad for a complete meal.
You can choose boneless chops or chicken for an end product that is easier to manage at the table, but bone-in will add flavor to the gravy.
Ingredients
- 4-6 pork chops (or chicken breasts) approximately 1 inch thickness
- Paul Prudhomme's Pork (or chicken) "Cajun Magic" (TM)premixed spice (or similar, other brands are also good)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter (or vegetable oil)
- 1/4 cup good quality dry sherry
- 1 cup regular milk (can substitute plain soy milk; or anything from heavy cream to nonfat milk, according to taste - more fat more flavor, leass healthy - sorry to say; you could also use a good red wine which will make a less thick gravy but an interesting flavor option)
Directions
- Coat the meat in the spice mix and let rest (macerate is the cooking term) for at least an hour to overnight in the refrigerator. We want a fairly heavy coating, so press it on with your hands, but do not go mad over it, a little on the outside will work fine.
- Take the flour and add a pinch (maybe up to a half-teaspoon) of the spice mix for flavoring and mix together well in a small bowl. Set aside to add to the gravy process step.
- Add one table spoon oil or butter to a medium heat frying pan large enough for all the meat. When the butter is melted (or the oil is up to heat, about 45 seconds) add the meat. The chops will take only about 6-7 minutes per side, the chicken about 10-12 minutes per side. I like to flip them about every three minutes rather than let them cook fully halfway through and flip only once, but this is more an art than a science. You can check one piece by cutting into the middle to make sure that the meat has turned white all the way through, but these times over mediem heat should be sufficient. Overcooking is OK for safety, but it will make the meat tougher. If you follow all the methods (keep refigerated until ready to cook, cook for times shown over medium heat) it should be thoroughly cooked and safe to eat.
- Remove the fully cooked meat from the pan and set aside, ideally in a warmer or at least a covered dish to hold in the heat. The next step can be done in less than five minutes but may take some practice. The warmer gives you more time to work.
- Now to make the gravy - go ahead and turn the heat up to high. Move quickly but carefully and deliberately, and add the other tablespoon of butter or oil. Be prepared to stir almost constantly for the remaining steps in making the gravy - don't worry, you can stop for a few moments to add ingredients as described below. Scrape the bottom of the pan because these leftover bits of spice and juices from the meat are the key flavoring to the gravy. After about 30 seconds, add the flour-spice mix. This should absorb the liquids in the pan and form a sort of soft dough-like consistency. If it is too dry, you need to adjust by adding more oil or butter. Within another 30-45 seconds the flour mixture (this is now becoming a roux, by the way) will start to bubble, and that is good. Let it cook and darken for about another minute or so, it depends on how hot your stove gets, but just ensure it does not start turning black as that would be burning and make it bitter. (If that happens, have a can of store-bought gravy in reserve - just teasing!) When it is a nice light-to-medium brown color, add the sherry. The alcahol will burn off almost immediately, but this adds flavor and deglazes the pan, meaning it will loosen up all the pan flavoings to release them into the gravy. Right after the sherry cooks in and evaporates, add the milk or wine. Stirring for another minute too ninety seconds, the gravy will steadily thicken. Take it off the heat. This is now ready to serve.
- To plate, put one seving of meat on the plate with some mashed potatoes, and pour a generous amount of gravy over the meat and potatoes. Add the vegetable course.
Adding to Planner
Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | %DV |
|---|---|
| Serving Size 156g | |
| Recipe makes 4 servings | |
| Calories 343 | |
| Calories from Fat 239 | 70% |
| Total Fat 26.71g | 33% |
| Saturated Fat 11.91g | 48% |
| Trans Fat 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol 72mg | 24% |
| Sodium 1014mg | 42% |
| Potassium 396mg | 11% |
| Total Carbs 9.55g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.1g | 0% |
| Sugars 4.37g | 3% |
| Protein 11.8g | 19% |
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