Oh, my daddy loved a pork chop. He could eat them every night, so Mama would have to come up with ways to change ’em up. That’s what this is; It’s “Blake, I don’t want pork chops but I’ll figure out a way to change it up so you can have a pork chop.” Soon enough Daddy wanted this recipe all the time.
SERVES 6
6 medium russet (baking) potatoes
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging
1 cup heavy cream
6 boneless center-cut pork chops, each about ½ inch thick
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into round slices about ½ inch thick. Layer them in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cook the mushrooms until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring, to make a golden brown roux, about 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes longer.
4. In another large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 cup oil. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and coat on both sides with flour, shaking off any excess. Fry the pork chops, in batches if necessary, until golden brown on each side, 6 to 8 minutes total.
5. Arrange the pork chops on top of the potatoes. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the pork chops and cover the dish with foil. Bake until the potatoes are fork tender, about 1 hour.