Pork with Creamy Herb Sauce (6 P+)

Pork was on sale at Costco.  Which means I now have a freezer full of pork tenderloin medallions.  Let me tell you, those babies are thick.  I'm talking two inches thick.  Typically I cut them in half because trying to cook a two-inch thick pork chop usually results in an under-cooked middle and an outer 1/4 inch that closely resembles pork jerky.  Is there such a thing as pork jerky?  I'm not really caught up on such matters.

Anyway.

I created this recipe because I didn't want to deal with cutting the pork in half.  And because I had a spare carrot in the crisper that needed to be used.  And because cream sauce seemed like a good idea.  Slow simmering the pork in the sauce resulted in a tender flavorful cut of meat, and using half-and-half instead of cream made it healthier.  If your pork is less thick than mine (which is likely) just reduce the simmer time.  Pork should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145ºF; it'll still be a little pink.  I recommend cooking until your meat thermometer reaches 140ºF.  Then remove the meat from the pan, cover, and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  It will continue cooking and be a perfect 145º when it's time to eat.

I served this with Roasted Parmesan Green Beans for an 8 Point+ meal.

Ingredients
1 pound pork tenderloin medallions
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp herb seasoning (I used Pampered Chef's Rosemary Herb blend)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup sherry
3/4 cup half-and-half

Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oil and heat for another minute.  Add the carrots and celery, stirring occasionally until almost tender, 4-5 minutes.  Push the vegetables to the side, and add the pork.  Sear the pork on both sides until golden, 2-3 minutes per side.  Remove the pork from the skillet; cover and keep warm.

Add the flour, seasoning, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.  Stir into the vegetables until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Pour in the sherry; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until slightly reduced.  Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the half-and-half and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Cook 2-3 minutes until thickened slightly.

Add the pork, turning to coat with the sauce.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes, turning once, until the pork is almost cooked through.  Remove the pork from the skillet; cover and keep warm (see note above regarding cooking temperatures).  Increase the heat and bring the sauce to a boil.  Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened.  Spoon over the pork and serve.

Makes 4 servings
6 Points+ per serving
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Baked Pork Chops

Center-cut sirloin pork chops coated in bread crumbs and slowly baked then topped with a cream sauce.  Trust me, you want to make these.  For once I followed a recipe exactly, and it was delicious!  To see the source recipe and find a printable option follow this link to AllRecipes.com - Baked Pork Chops. 

Ingredients

6 pork chops (thick cut sirloin chops - not thin cut bone in chops)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup white wine

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.

Heat the oil (or live dangerously and use half oil and half butter for a more golden crust) in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.