Pork chops with Sherry

I am a sucker for a sherry – it reminds me of singing evensong at college with a Chaplain who wasn’t averse to toasting the Lord with it if he forgot to stock up on communion wine. But it is not nostalgia alone that sends me hungrily stove-ward. This feels like a proper dinner, but, as long as the meat is pounded out thinly (itself, very satisfying), it can be on the table in ten minutes flat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Onion illustration for easy pork chop recipe4 boneless pork chops (1 per person)
1 large Spanish onion
½ cup of sherry
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp of butter
Salt and pepper

  • Put the pork chops into a zip lock bag and smash them with a pan / rolling pin / hammer until they are about 1 cm thick
  • (If you have time, you could leave them in the bag to marinate in an extra tbsp of sherry, ½ tbsp of olive oil and 1 smashed garlic clove for 20 minutes, or in the fridge overnight)
  • Season the pork with salt and pepper
  • Chop the onion into half moons and fry in 1 tbsp of the oil on a medium heat until soft and golden and sweet – about five minutes. Remove the onion to a plate to give yourself space in the pan for the pork.
  • Tip in another tbsp of olive oil and the tsp of butter (the butter gives great flavor, the oil stops it burning) Cook the pork chops for 3- 4 minutes per side
  • Move the meat to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm
  • Put the onions back into the pan to heat through
  • Grate in one clove of garlic and cook for a minute
  • Pour in the sherry and scrape off the bits from the bottom of the pan into the bubbling liquid
  • Pour the sauce over the pork and sprinkle over the chopped parsley

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with a hunk of French bread
  • Or drain, rinse and heat up a can of chick peas in some olive oil and half a tsp of paprika
  • Or a bowl of boiled new potatoes
  • And blanched green beans
  • Or a warming baked potato

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