Recently I was in Switzerland visiting our Swiss importer who has a restaurant outside of Basel. I had the best spaeztle ever – that Swiss-German dumpling that looks like a noodle. Light and fluffy and pan fried in butter, they are a tasty side to many braised dishes.
I also visited a childhood friend from Berkeley who lives in Adelboden, high up in the Alps. She had broken her leg skiing the week before I got there, so I was helping out with family chores of laundry, grocery shopping and of course cooking. I made this simple braised pork in the Swiss fashion and served it with spaetzle to soak up the great sauce. The pork in Switzerland is fabulous, locally raised, tender and flavorful.
It doesn’t dry out when you cook it either. Spaetzle you can buy fresh at any Swiss grocery store, which makes cooking it a snap. Making spaetzle dough and forming it is a bit tricky ( something I haven’t mastered yet), so I suggest serving this pork with pasta or gnocchi as a side.
4 loin pork chops, ½ “ thick – buy the finest quality pork you can find at your butcher
3 Tbl. unsalted butter
salt and pepper
1 large sweet onion
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbl. minced sage
2 Tbl. minced flat leaf parsley
More minced parsley or sage for garnish.
In a large deep skillet, heat 2 Tbl. unsalted butter. Over med-high heat, brown the pork chops well on both sides. Salt and pepper both sides while they cook. Remove the chops to a plate.
Turn the heat down to low and add the remaining 1 Tbl. butter. Quarter and peel the onion.
Cut the quarters into ¼” thick slices and add to the skillet. Continue to cook the onions over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Turn the heat up to medium, add the white wine and simmer briefly. Add the mustard and herbs.
Turn the heat back down to low and slide the chops back into the pan. Flip the chops once to coat them with the sauce. The sauce should come up the sides of the chops but not cover them. You want the brown tops to stay out of the sauce. Add a little more wine or water if needed.
Simmer the chops on low heat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
Serve with pasta, gnocchi or spaetzle and plenty of sauce. Sprinkle more sage or parsley on top for garnish.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Jane O'Riordan, Domaine de la Terre Rouge