Brandied Dijon Pork Chops

Happy Friday y'all!!! This has been one crazy week, and I am oh-so-glad today is the last of it. 

Have you been watching the Olympics? I've never been a big follower, but this year I decided to watch a few events here and there. Swimming and gymnastics mainly. And even then I haven't watched more than a few times. I've enjoyed what I have watched, though. It helps to break up the monotony of my everyday routines.

Last night is really the first time I've watched since last weekend because the week has been so crazy. I mean, Tuesday night my laptop decided to implode and give me a serious anxiety attack. What would I do without my trust laptop that practically lives on my lap as I watch TV every night?? No multi-tasking, surfing the 'net while watching my shows?? It's unthinkable.

Fortunately for me, I have an awesome techy friend who walked me through repairing and recovering my files (i.e. photos) and all was well in the world by mid-day on Wednesday. That's some serious stress friends. So I went out and had a drink after work, instead of coming home and cooking dinner like a good girl blogger. So, last night I needed to relax and enjoy a good, homecooked meal. Bar food (appetizers) are great, don't get me wrong...I look forward to happy hours just so I can indulge in the bar food - gasp! However, there is nothing like a scrumptious meal prepared at home. And these pork chops? Well, they are just the type of scrumptious meal to end a hectic week with.

Did I mention there is liquor in the sauce? Yeah, that helps too.

Pork chops cook pretty quickly, and the sauce is easy peasy, so you could potentially have this on the table in ~20 minutes, depending on your sides. I had roasted balsamic-parmesan cauliflower and baked parmesan tomatoes (recipes coming soon!), and for all of that it took about 25 minutes including prep time!! That is one fantastically good weeknight dinner!! It's Friday...do you need any other reason to try this? Did I mention there is liquor in it?!?!

Brandied Dijon Pork Chops

Source: Pampered Chef - 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless both work)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 shallots, diced
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp brandy (I used black cherry bourbon whiskey)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

1. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering, aout 1-3 minutes.
2. Season both sides of pork with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess before adding to the skillet.
3. Cook for 6-8 minutes (4-5 for thinner pieces) until golden brown, turning half-way through. Remove from the skillet to a plate.
4. Add shallots, butter, and garlic to the skillet and cook about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Place the pork back in the skillet, turning to coat with the sauce. Cook 3-5 more minutes until no longer pink in the center (155 degrees F) and remove from the heat.
6. Serve with more sauce spooned over the top.