Sauteed Pork with Mustard Sauce

Normally I'm not excited by a large cut of meat as the centerpiece for a meal. Don't get me wrong. I'm no vegetarian. Meat for meat's sake has just never been my style. Having said that, sometimes it's nice to to enjoy a simple cut of meat, pork in this case. In this case, simple means French cuisine.

Isn't “simple French cuisine” an oxymoron? Normally I would think so.

Sauces are a big deal in French cuisine, along with with herbs, cheese and wine. The idea of “mother sauces” is a core principle. Simple variations on the mother sauces create all kinds of wonderful dishes. The tradition of mother sauces has continued into modern times, and this recipe is no exception. It uses a mustard sauce, a simple variation on a basic cream sauce.

I think this dish works very well as a Sunday night dinner, because of it's nature. It would work equally well as a weeknight dish, though. It takes less than 30 minutes to make and doesn't dirty a lot of dishes in the preparation. It's a great example of a “one pot” dish. The pork is served with tomatoes to brighten the dish, but they aren't required.

Equipment Needed:
Meat tenderizer
Kitchen knife
Frying pan
Kitchen tongs (optional)

Ingredients:
4 medium Pork Loin, about 7 oz. each, or use pork chops
Salt, as required
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
2 1/2 tablespoons Butter
2/3 cup Cream
2 tablespoons Grainy Mustard
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
8 Cherry Tomatoes
4 sprigs Fresh Italian Parsley, or dried

Directions:
Tenderize the pork by hitting it with a meat tenderizer until it has a uniform thickness. Score the fat around the pork with the tip of a knife. Make 3 - 4 cuts into the fat, cutting partway into the meat, to cut the sinews. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over both sides of the pork.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute one side of the pork until golden brown. Turn the pork over and saute until the other side is also golden brown. Once browned, reduce the heat to medium low until pork is cooked through. Take the pan off the heat and remove the pork. Set aside.

Pour the oil from the frying pan and remove any excess oil with paper towels. Use tongs so you don't get burned. Put the butter in the pan over medium heat until it melts. Add the cream. Mix in the mustard and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and let it cook until thickened slightly. Return the pork to the pan.

Transfer the pork to serving plates, pouring the remaining sauce over the pork. Garnish with tomatoes and parsley. Enjoy!

Make 4 servings.