Welcome to our kitchen that truly is the heart of our home! One of life's greatest pleasures is enjoying good food with family and friends. Here you will find recipes, tips for frugal cooking, how-tos for food preservation especially canning and anything else food related. Tea is brewing and warm cookies are fresh from the oven. Please sit a spell and enjoy your stay.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Old Fashioned Comfort Food
The snow can be blowing, the wind howling, sleet hitting the windows or so hot breathing is difficult and yet some foods comfort us. My gosh, I think everyone has a few tried and true dishes they think of as comfort food. These are the dishes we turn to over and over because not only are they family favourites, they are down right comfort food. So what makes a comfort food? In all honesty I think comfort food is any food that just makes you feel warm and cozy inside regardless of what is going on outside.
Boneless pork loin chops in a mushroom sauce is one of our ultimate, cold weather, comfort meals. It is rich and creamy beyond belief! The secret to the sauce is condensed cream of mushroom soup, one of the very few soups that I buy commercially made. The reason being I cannot home can a version of this soup and only so much of homemade cream of mushroom soup will store in the freezer. The lactic acid in the condensed soup and added milk along with the slow cooking method result in tender pork chops that melt in your mouth. I often add sliced mushrooms to the sauce as well. The pork chops pair nicely with steamed potatoes, rice or noodles. My husband's favourite is pairing the meat and sauce with potatoes.
My hubby loves everything mushroom soup.
ReplyDeleteHow do you slow cook it, if I may ask? Do you use a slow cooker, or do it some other way?
Hi Linda :) You can cook in a slow cooker on low or use a low simmer on the stovetop. I prefer the stovetop for the slight caramelization it adds as well as a bit thicker sauce. Either way works well though. With the stovetop method you need to stir occasionally whereas the slow cooker method doesn't.
ReplyDeleteGG, Sorry for all the questions. Do you brown the pork before adding the soup?
ReplyDeleteAnd how long would you cook on the stove? One hour? Two?
You don't add any milk or water, do you? Just the pork and soup?
Thank you for your help! :)
This Recipe look's absolutely mouth watering!
ReplyDeleteI love all of your amazing recipe's!!
Keep on posting!!
R.
Hi Linda, no problem :) I brown the pork in a little olive oil then stir in 2 - 3 cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup depending on how much pork I'm using. Then I stir about a cup of milk. You can use water but it won't be as creamy. Mix well and bring just to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover but leave open just enough to let steam out. Then allow to simmer until sauce is thickened. It will take about an hour on the stovetop. You can add in sauteed sliced mushrooms if desired.
ReplyDeleteThank you, GG! Will try this tomorrow night with brown rice, I think. :)
ReplyDelete