pork chop with mostarda

Mostarda Sauce:
Cook olive oil and onions in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Onions should become soft and translucent. Approximately 5 minutes.  Do not let the onions brown.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the liquid ingredients. Stir until well incorporated and bring to a low simmer then let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. In a small bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. 

Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the sauce and stir until it is fully incorporated. The sauce should fully coat the back of the spoon.  Once that is achieved, add the dry fruit and bring sauce to a simmer. Let simmer for five more minutes.

Remove from the heat and cover the sauce pan.  Let sauce sit for 15 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Pork Chops:
Turn oven on to 300 degrees. Set an oven safe pan (cast iron or stainless steel) over high heat. Once the pan is hot enough for water to dance across the surface before evaporating pour enough oil in pan to slightly coat.  Then place pork chops (unseasoned) in pan and sear for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Then flip and sear for 1 minute.

Spoon mostarda sauce over each pork chop and place pan in oven and let cook to desired doneness. ( 142 for slightly pink with some juices ) (Can also sous vide by heating your water to 142 degrees, then bagging the seared porkchops with the sauce. Seal bag and place into water bath. Let cook for 1 hour before removing and serving)

Plating:
Plate by placing a bed of polenta, then place arugula cover half of the polenta.  Follow with the cooked pork chop.  Then place a spoon full or two of the mostarda sauce from the pan over half of the plated pork chop. Sprinkle a little bit of the freshly plucked thyme leaves over the pork and polenta.