No-No Pork Chops

It has been a while since I have tried a new recipe that I found on Pinterest. Tonight I went with a simple recipe that looked like it had the potential to be tasty, Mushroom Pork Chops. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to its potential.

The good thing about the recipe is that it was easy to make, and I even made a couple of small alterations along the way to add a bit more flavor. (I've included my altered recipe below if you want to try it anyway.)

Sauteing the onion and mushrooms

I started off by browning the pork chops, that I had seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (I was out of salt so I subbed powder instead), in olive oil. Once they were browned on both sides, I put the chops on a plate. Then I added the chopped onion and mushrooms, sauteing them until the onions were nicely transparent and the mushrooms had a bit of color to them. I then added the chop back to the pan and added cream of mushroom soup plus 1/4 cup of white wine (for additional flavor). I let the pork chops simmer in the sauce for 20 minutes or so until the pork was done cooking.

While the pork was simmering, I cooked some rice to serve with the pork, figuring the sauce would make a nice gravy.

My husband and I always approach new recipes with great anticipation and hope that we have found something fantastic. That is not what happened tonight. The pork chops were, at best, okay. There was nothing wrong with them, but there was nothing great about them either. In fact, I enjoyed the rice more than I did the pork chop. So much so that I didn't finish eating the chop but did eat all of my rice.

The rice (yummy) and the pork chop (not so yummy)

When analyzing the recipe, DH and I decided there was no point in keeping it or finding a way to redeem it. The only thing we thought could have made it better was browning the meat in a different type of pan instead of a teflon-coated one, which probably prevented it from giving it a really good sear. I doubt that would have changed the recipe enough, though, for me to want to eat it again.

Oh well, you win some, and you lose some. Hopefully, my next recipe will turn out better. Be ready for it, because tomorrow I'm trying a carnita recipe. I hope that one is much more successful.


As promised, my version of the recipe:

Mushroom Pork Chops

4 pork chops

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

garlic salt

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup white wine

1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Heat olive oil in a skillet. While heating up, season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Once warm, add pork chops and brown on both sides. Remove pork chops. Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and saute until onions are translucent. Place the chops back in the pan. In small bowl, mix wine with soup, then pour over the chops. Let the chops simmer for 20-25 minutes until done.