You know that old pork chop recipe where you take a can of cream of mushroom soup and cook the pork chops in it. This recipe for Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce is like the elevated restaurant-quality version of that dish. Rather than using store-bought canned soup, the creamy mushroom sauce is made using high-quality mushrooms, fresh herbs, brandy, stock, and cream. The pork chops are thick-cut, seared in a hot pan, then finished in the oven to ensure an even and perfect cook. Whether you are looking for a quick weeknight meal or something high-end to make for a special occasion, this is it. Serve it with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, and you've got a delicious dish that anyone would be happy to pay money for. You can find the recipe directly below and keep reading past that for a more detailed explanation.
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Ingredients
The ingredients for my Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce are pretty straightforward, but if you don't have some of the ingredients, you can substitute them for others. To start, I have these beautiful bone-in thick-cut pork chops. You don't have to use these, they just look excellent in pictures, and honestly, they are of outstanding quality. I got them at Sobeys for anyone in Canada. But whatever pork chops you have will be fine. You will have to adjust the cooking time a little so that thinner chops don't end up overcooked.
The mushrooms for the recipe are one portobello and three king oyster mushrooms. You can use button mushrooms, creminis, or any other mushroom you want. The key is that you have about two cups of loosely packed mushrooms. Herbs, I used thyme and rosemary, but sage, parsley, tarragon, or even just Italian seasoning will work well. You can switch out the shallot for half a small onion, and you can substitute the brandy for white wine, sherry or leave it out altogether. Leave the cream as whipping cream as the recipe requires a high-fat content.
Preparing the Mushrooms
To prepare the mushrooms, you can cut them into strips or chunks, but the easiest and quickest thing to do is pull the mushrooms apart with your hands. Pull the king oyster mushrooms into long thin strips, and break the portobello into thumb-width chunks.
Preparing the Shallot and Garlic
To prepare the shallot and garlic, peel them and slice them as thinly as you can. The herbs, just leave whole.
Preparing and Cooking the Pork Chops
Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add in 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the pork chops for a minute or two or until browned. Season the upside, then flip and sear for another minute or two. Take the pork chops out of the skillet, put them on a sheet pan, and put them in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. For thinner pork chops, reduce that amount of time to 5 to 7 minutes.
That may not seem like much time, but they don't need to cook too much more because the pork chops are already partially cooked after searing in the pan. Make sure to sear the fat on the side of the pork chop as well before putting them in the oven. This renders some of the fat and gives you a crispy edge that adds wonderful texture to the finished dish. If you want to dive deeper into pork chop techniques, my Everything I Know About Pork Chops guide covers all the essentials.
Making the Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Drain the excess fat out of the pan, leaving about one tablespoon. Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about three minutes or until the shallots have softened. Pour a quarter cup of brandy into the pan and cook until it has almost all evaporated. Add half a cup of chicken stock, bring to a boil and let it cook for about two minutes or until it has reduced by half its volume. Finally, add a quarter cup of whipping cream. Continue to cook the sauce until it is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a line for at least one second.
This technique of reducing the sauce in stages is what gives it such a concentrated, rich flavour. Each layer builds on the last: the mushrooms add earthiness, the brandy adds warmth and complexity, the stock adds body, and the cream ties it all together into something truly luxurious. If you prefer a lighter sauce, you could also try a pan sauce made with just stock and a knob of butter, similar to the approach in my Pork Chops with Fennel recipe.
Finishing the Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Remove the pork chops from the oven, let them rest for two minutes, spoon the sauce over them and serve. When cooked, the pork chops should be juicy and tender with a slight pink colour. If the pork chops are solid white and dry, they have been overcooked. All in all, with prep and cooking, this recipe for Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce should take less than 25 minutes, but it will taste like you've been cooking all day. Try it for yourself.
A Sauce Worth Mastering
Something about the air cooling down makes me crave mushrooms, especially in a cream sauce. That flavour, for whatever reason, is the taste of fall to me. What is your favourite fall flavour?
Keep in mind that this sauce works just as well on beef, chicken, or pasta as it does on pork chops. Add it to your repertoire, change the mushrooms, change the protein, and you've got a secret weapon up your sleeve that you can break out whenever you want to impress or have something special.
Here are a few variations to keep things interesting:
- Swap the mushrooms: Try chanterelles in the autumn or morels in the spring for a seasonal twist.
- Change the spirit: Use white wine instead of brandy for a lighter sauce, or try cognac for something even richer.
- Add a finishing touch: A squeeze of lemon juice or a handful of fresh parsley stirred in at the end brightens the whole dish.
- Make it for company: This recipe doubles easily. Just use a larger pan and give the mushrooms enough room so they sear rather than steam.
This is one of my favourite cool-weather recipes, and I genuinely think it will become one of yours too. Now, get cooking!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 thick cut bone-in pork chops
- 1 portobello mushrooms,
- 3 king oyster mushrooms
- 1 shallot, peeled and sliced or half a small onion
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Brandy or white wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup Whipping Cream
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Pull or cut the king oyster mushrooms into thin strips.
- Pull or cut the portobello mushrooms into thumb-width chunks.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat the pork chops dry with paper towel and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil to the pan and sear the pork chops on both sides until brown. About 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the pork chops from the skillet and place them on an oven-safe sheet pan. Put the pork chops in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Drain the excess oil out of the skillet, leaving about 1 tbsp. Add the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, rosemary, and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 4 minutes or until the shallots soften and the mushrooms are cooked.
- Add the brandy to the skillet and cook for about a minute or until it has all but evaporated.
- Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook until it has reduced by half. About 2 minutes.
- Add the cream and continue to cook the sauce until it is thick enough that a wooden spoon dragged across the bottom of the skillet leaves a line for at least 1 second.
- Remove the pork chops from the oven, top with the creamy mushroom sauce and serve.
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