PORK CHOP À LA MATIGNON
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 90 mins
Ingredients:
For the sachet - 1 bay leaf - 1 cinnamon stick - 3 star anise pods - 3 cloves - Cheesecloth - Kitchen twine
For the main
- 2 double-cut pork chops - Kosher salt - Neutral vegetable oil - 2 onions, diced - 3 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced - 2 carrots, diced - 500g hard cider, with 50g reserved - 50g honey - 15g cornstarch - 25ml apple brandy - Sherry vinegar, to taste - Cress or other greens for garnish - Kosher sea salt
Method:
1. Place all sachet ingredients in the cheesecloth and tie it off with kitchen twine 2. To make the cornstarch slurry, mix the cornstarch and 50g of the reserved cider in a small bowl 3. French the chops by removing the meat and sinew around the rib bone. Lightly season 4. Preheat oven to 140°C. Heat a neutral oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chops and quickly sear each side. Place them in the baking sheet, and into the oven. Cook for approximately 60-90 minutes 5. Toss the onions to the pan, lightly salting them. Cook about 8-10 minutes. Add the carrots and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Add the apples and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Next, reducing the heat further to medium-low, add the sachet, cider, and honey. Set the mixture aside 6. Once the chops are done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and remove the pork to allow it to rest (that way, it will retain all its juices) 7. After discarding the sachet, put the pan back on the heat, and bring vegetables and liquid to a simmer. Add a third of the cornstarch slurry, and mix well. Observe the sauce thicken, adding the slurry in thirds to achieve the desired thickness. Add the Calvados and taste. Add the sherry vinegar and salt as needed to the sauce to balance the taste. Simmer to bring the sauce together 8. Enjoy the chops with the sauce, along with potatoes and greens