When the Husby and I first started dating, we did the whole getting dressed up and going out to a nice dinner, but after thirteen years together, we’ve perfected our Valentine’s Day routine. I buy him a card – one from me and one from the kids – weeks in advance and the night before or morning of, he runs out for a cheesy grocery store bouquet of roses. Unintentionally for the past few years, we’ve ended up going to the Auto Show during the day. And we always end our night by curling up on the couch with a heart shaped pizza from Lou Malnati’s while watching a movie.
Today started out same as always. The cards were exchanged, the flowers purchased, the Auto Show attended. But this year, I decided to change things up a bit. The theme for this week’s swap was super apropos - special occasion – so it seemed fitting to get in the kitchen and cook. I wouldn’t say that we dressed up like we used to but we did enjoy a nice meal together.
We liked this entree although we both agreed that the sauce was a bit salty (likely due to user error since I didn’t measure). For as much as I like to drink wine, I always forget how easy it is to make a pan sauce so this was a nice change from a plain old porkchop. The only change I would make next time would be to sear the pork before baking in order to give it some color. I did also wish that the flavor of the wine would be a bit more prevalent.
Adapted from The Redhead Baker
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Pork Chops
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- 3 Tbsp. Coarse Kosher Salt
- 1 Shallot, finely chopped
- 2 Cups Pinot Noir (I used Mark West)
- 1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Pepper
- 3/4 tsp. Sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, chilled
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the water, kosher salt and sugar in a gallon sized Ziploc bag, then add the pork chops and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Remove pork chops from the brine and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and season with pepper, to taste.
Place the pork chops on a foil lined baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
While the pork cooks, set a skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the shallots and cook for 30-60 seconds, then add the Pinot Noir. With a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, until reduced by half.
Add the chicken broth, stir, and cook an additional 15 minutes, until reduced to about 1/3 cup.
Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper and sugar. Stirring constantly, add the butter one tablespoon at a time until sauce is smooth and thickened.
Serve the pork chops with two tablespoons of sauce.
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/pork-chops-with-pinot-noir-sauce/
