Pork Chops with a Piquant Sauce

This is the third recipe from Gordon Ramsay that I've tried, and I must say I really like his flavours. The dishes always turn out light but still very satisfying. This recipe combines the refreshing taste of herbs with the natural flavors of pork, and turns up the heat with a playful hint of spiciness in the sauce.

Chef Ramsay's video recipe calls for 10 min of baking time in the oven, but I take about 15 min at home. When done medium, chops should be thoroughly cooked on the outside while being a little pink on the inside. Interestingly, the USDA recommends pork to be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius for us non-Americans), so do give your meat a thermometer poke if it concerns you at all!

Recipe (from Times Online) :

4 pork chops, about 250g each

a little olive oil plus extra to drizzle

few thyme sprigs

few rosemary sprigs (leaves only)

1/2 head of garlic, separated into cloves (unpeeled)

sea salt and black pepper

Sauce:

3 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

200g chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and finely sliced

400g can chopped tomatoes

sea salt and black pepper

1tsp caster sugar

1 Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Place the pork chops in a large, lightly oiled baking dish and scatter over the thyme sprigs, rosemary leaves, garlic cloves and salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until the pork chops are cooked through.

2 Make the sauce in the meantime. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and add the onion, red pepper, chilli and mushrooms. Stir over a high heat for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

3 Tip in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add the sugar and a splash of water. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until the onions are tender and the tomato sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4 Take the chops out of the oven and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes. Then, pour any pan juices into the sauce and reheat. Ladle a generous amount of sauce over the chops to serve