Pork Loin Steaks in Creamy Shallot and Mushrooms Sauce

Name: Pork Loin Steaks in Creamy Shallot and Mushrooms Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 pork loin steaks; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 shallots (chopped); 2-3 large field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms (chopped); 2 rosemary sprigs (chopped); a splash of cognac or brandy (optional); 1/4 cup stock (pork or chicken); 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard; 200 gr/ 2/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream; salt and pepper to taste

Delicious pork loin steaks in under 20 minutes? Yes, please!!

One of the most vivid memories I have of my my mom’s kitchen is her working magic on a piece of pork…aka mercilessly pounding it with a meat mallet.

Before you jump to any conclusions let me explain…Her meat mallet was absolutely gorgeous.

It was a two-sided tool with a mini hatchet on one side and a tiny mallet on the other, its long stainless steel neck gradually turned into an elegant incrusted handle with a colourful intricate design.

That hatchet/mallet was the most feminine thing you would ever see, which place would be more appropriate in a jewellery box than hanging off a wall in the kitchen.

My grandma had a similar one but the incrusted handle had a different design.

I can’t remember the story behind them but I have no doubt it’s no less spectacular than the mallets themselves. I wanted to nick it ever since Brad proposed and I started to put together a wedding registry. In other words, I wanted it to be “my precious” for ages.

I never did get a regular mallet for myself as I kept waiting for my mom to gift hers to me, so meat went “untenderised” for a while until Oxo Good Grips sent me this tool.

How do I make pork chops tender?

Excellent question. The tenderness of pork depends on the cut as with most meat. Pork loin or pork tenderloin yields the best texture in my opinion.

You can also use a meat tenderiser to aid the process.

The meat tenderiser I’ve used is by OXO. Instead of using brutal force of a regular meat mallet, it tenderises meat by piercing it with multiple sharp blades with a light push of a hand.

What I missed is beating the heck out of my meat and getting all kinds of negative energy out. What I loved is tender and flavourful meat that cooks in half the time.

Because this tenderiser doesn’t flatten meat like a regular mallet it keeps it thick and juicy while little slits allow for your seasoning to go deep, which contributes to rich flavour, it also dramatically reduces cooking time.

Next time I am using tenderiser I am going to throw these babies into some kind of marinade. Now summer needs to hurry up and bring the barbecue season.

How do I cook pork loin steaks?

For now I just rubbed some sea salt into these pork loin steaks and went on my merry way to make the sauce. Please, tell me you are still with me.

I know I am a little wordy today but I have a lot of good things to say. Namely, this sauce. It needs to be on your dinner menu soon.

It only takes 10 minutes to make but rich and deep flavours will make your friends and family think it took you hours to develop them.

After you rubbed your pork loin steaks with some sea salt grab yourself a cast iron pan or a stainless steel one and heat a tablespoon of olive oil in it, then brown your steaks in it for no longer than 2 minutes on each side.

How do I make a sauce for pork chops?

Chop some shallots and large field mushrooms or portobello mushrooms or anything you like. Remove your meat on a separate plate and set aside.

To the same pan add shallots and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning for 3 minutes, then add mushrooms and chopped rosemary and cook for 5 more minutes.

When the juices evaporate hit the pan with a splash of cognac or brandy and scrape the burnt bits with a wooden spoon.

Add stock, whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and return pork loin steaks to the pan, bring to a boil, let it simmer for a minute or two and take it off the heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

What can I serve with pork loin steaks?

Enjoy with rice or potatoes. Or you can make this sweet potato and swede/rutabaga mash if you desire to be a tiny bit healthier. The taste is so luxurious, you won’t believe it came together so quickly and easily!

If you make my Pork Loin Steaks recipe, I would love to see your photos! Tag me @vikalinka on Instagram when you are sharing your delicious plates! Are you following me on Instagram? If not, let’s be friends!