The Low Down On Aunt Ruby's Pork Chops

When my kids were babies we lived next door to Mr. RainbowCreek's Aunt Ruby. We were poor. Not like dirt poor, but like when you have 3 kids and one of them outgrows their shoes suddenly and there goes the grocery budget poor.

So sometimes I used to go next door and literally "borrow" dinner from Ruby. She was just one of those kind of Aunt's, so when I would mention that I just didn't know what to do for dinner she would pull out a few things from the cupboard and 'frig and rattle off some instructions for how to make a certain dish and send me on my way. She raised 7 kids and she knew how to make all those good comfort foods. And she made pork chops that I craved but could not quite accomplish.

It took me a while to figure out how those pork chops always were so tender and delicious, but finally it came to me that she just cooked them for a very long time on low heat in a heavy skillet. Some things can't be done in a hurry and I guess pork chops are one of them. If you cook them that way all they need is a little salt and pepper. I prefer mine pretty peppery, but just pepper to taste and they will be good. Start them on medium and as soon as you get them brown on one side turn the heat down. Cover the pan and turn them every so often, for about 45 mins. or even a little longer if you want. When you remove them from the pan you will have the perfect makings for an excellent cream gravy.

How to make a gravy: You will need a little bit of fat in the pan for making a proper gravy so if your pork chops were too lean (yes, there is such a thing as too lean) you may need to add a tablespoon of vegetable oil or butter.

You will want to turn the heat up a little bit but not too much, and add 3-4 tablespoons of all purpose flour to the pan. Stir this around with the oil for a while to get it mixed in and slightly bubbly and brown. This should look smooth with no lumps before proceeding to the next step.

Add about a quarter cup of water or chicken broth to the flour mixture and stir this until it is mixed and smooth. Now you can turn your heat up a little more to medium high, and add some milk, probably about a cup and bring this to a boil so it starts to thicken. If it is too thick add a little more milk until it is the right consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

This basic technique of making a roux for thickening a sauce may take a little practice. The most important thing is to control the heat, start slow so things don't go crazy on you all at once and remember to taste and re-season before serving your final product.

The Simple Sauce

Many foods demand a good sauce or gravy. All of which are based on one of the five "mother sauces" of cuisine. Luckily for you and me, we do not have to know how to create these mother's because they are almost all readily available in the local supermarket, with the exception maybe of the cream sauce, which is milk and flour and butter. That is pretty easy and I will get around to some recipes with that later, like a good macaroni and cheese, and chicken pot pie that you could be proud to serve even to adults.

So, if you tried the smothered chicken recipe then you know how to make a simple "pan sauce" which is nothing more than deglazing the pan in which a meat was cooked, with a flavorful liquid and perhaps adding a bit of flavorful fat, such as butter, cream or oil.

That is a technique that you can really use and build on. For example, the chicken can be replaced with steak and rather than chicken broth you can use beef broth or red wine. You can also do the same with pork chops or pork tenderloin medallions, I would leave off the cheese, and for adults you could use a fortified wine like Marsala for the pan sauce.

So now I would like to say a few words about heavy cream and butter. You should buy a pint of ultra pasteurized heavy cream and keep it in your refrig. The date on the ultra stuff is pretty long, about 6 weeks. And if you divide this up over a 4-6 week period among the number of family members this is not going to kill you. Nor is REAL butter. These ingredients are just indespenable when it comes to cooking flavorful dishes.

I don't care how much propaganda you hear about the evils of fat, you have got to get over it and understand that in moderation you can use real foods such as butter and cream and cook fresh foods in a healthy way. My grandparents did not used processed foods and spreads and packaged sauce mixes that came from a chemistry lab. They lived to 90+ years because they worked hard and ate well. So tell the food police to F off and buy fresh, buy organic, but eat real food and you will be just fine.

Recipe? What Recipe?

I think it is about time some of you learn to cook.

Why? Because you have to eat and if you have a family they do too.

And I find it very disturbing when I hear people (well, especially mom people) who say they just don't cook. I worry about your babies, those chicken globule thingies and that watery powdered cheese and slimy pasta from the blue box is scary stuff. Is that what they are eating? While you choke down a Lean definitely not Cuisine with exactly one chunk of some processed chicken product in a glistening puddle of sauce made from substances you cannot pronounce the name of? You know that just is so not right.

I know how to cook. Recipes are plentiful on the internet, and there are probably thousands of beginner cookbooks. But I would like to encourage you to learn to cook without recipes. Cooking is really about learning techniques and using them to prepare fresh foods that you and your family enjoy.

30 minute meals sound like a great idea until you buy the book and find out that they are suggesting that you serve your kids or your hard working partner kale soup and roasted cauliflower. Well that just isn't going to fly now, is it?

So here is a quick and easy dinner that involves a few simple techniques.

Smothered Chicken: I buy the bags of frozen chicken breast tenders because they are better sized for portion control than the full size chicken breasts, and they are quick to cook.

Defrost a number of chicken breast portions to serve your family. Season them with salt and pepper or your favorite grill seasoning. I use a Tone's garlic pepper blend that I get at Sam's Club, it is my staple seasoning for almost everything.

Sear the Chicken in a hot skillet. To sear meat you should heat the pan on medium high, then add the oil just before you add the meat. Use a combination of olive oil and butter, the olive oil will prevent the butter from scorching when you add it to the hot pan, and the butter adds flavor. I do not use "spreads" they are not suitable for cooking. If the skillet seems too hot and the meat is smoking when added to the pan, turn the heat down. (duh!) Turn the chicken so it is browned on both sides. Remove it from the pan to a baking dish.

Turn down the heat to medium if you haven't already done that. Add some sliced onions and sliced fresh mushrooms to the pan and stir them around to begin to caramelize them. That means they will be getting slightly browned. If you hate onions or one of your family members won't touch them with a ten foot pole, leave them out. The same goes for the mushrooms. Remember this is not a recipe, you are cooking for yourself and can do whatever you like.

De-glaze the pan with some chicken broth from a can or a box. Turn up the heat a little if needed and stir well with a wooden spoon to get all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan mixed into the sauce. Add a tablespoon of butter or heavy cream to give the sauce a little thickness and added flavor. Add pepper to taste and if you are using unsalted chicken broth taste to see if it needs salt.

Place a slice of Swiss cheese over each chicken portion, pour sauce over top. Put the baking dish in a 375 degree oven until the cheese is melted and starts to bubble a bit. If using the chicken tenders this will take about 10 minutes, if full size chicken breasts it will be about 15 or more depending on size. The cheese acts kind of as a meat thermometer and won't start bubbling until the chicken is done.

Serve this with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles and a salad or steamed vegetables.