Porc a l’Estragon, Baby

A favorite quick winter menu of mine is pork chops with tarragon cream sauce. A good sweet squash glazed with a bit of butter and brown sugar makes a nice complement to it.

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and strings. Then cut it into chunks and steam it while preparing the pork chops so everything is done at once. Toward the end of the steaming time, put a dollop of butter on top of each wedge of squash and sprinkle each with a few teaspoons of brown sugar. All you need to finish this meal is good French bread.

Menu

Pork Chops With Tarragon Cream

Steamed Acorn Squash

French Bread

Pork Chops With Tarragon Cream

Active Work Time: 5 minutes. Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes

4 center-cut pork loin chops with bone

Salt, Pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon minced tarragon

* Season pork loin chops with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in large heavy skillet until hot. Add pork chops and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown second side, about 5 minutes. Remove chops from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

* Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in whipping cream. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

* Return chops to skillet. Cover and simmer over low heat until chops are light pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Stir tarragon into sauce during last few minutes of cooking.

2 servings. Each serving: 330 calories; 241 mg sodium; 98 mg cholesterol; 35 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.

GAME PLAN

30 minutes before: Begin steaming squash.

25 minutes before: Season pork chops and brown.

15 minutes before: Prepare sauce and finish chops.

Just before serving: Sprinkle hot squash with a bit of butter and brown sugar to glaze.

INGREDIENTS

Staples

Butter

Olive oil

Garlic

1 (14-ounce) can unsalted chicken broth

Brown sugar

Shopping List

4 center-cut pork loin chops with bone

1/2 pint whipping cream

1 bunch tarragon

1 small acorn squash

French rolls