Pork Chop Gratin

By Culiora

Classic oven-baked pork chop gratin in a rich, creamy sauce of heavy cream, crème fraîche, and Dijon mustard, crowned with a generous blanket of melted cheese. The pork chops are seared quickly first for deep flavor and then bake up wonderfully tender and juicy in the oven.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 30 min
• Total time: 45 min

Ingredients

• 4 pcs pork chops (bone-in or boneless, approx. 180 g each)
• 1 tbsp butter, for frying
• 1 tbsp canola oil, for frying
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pcs yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 pcs garlic cloves, minced
• 2.5 dl heavy cream
• 1.5 dl crème fraîche
• 1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (Chinese soy sauce)
• 1.5 tbsp concentrated veal stock
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 150 g aged cheese (such as Prästost, aged Cheddar, or Gruyère), grated
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (conventional heat). Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season both sides with the salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat the butter and canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops for 1–2 minutes per side until nicely browned but not cooked through. Transfer the chops to a baking dish (approx. 20x30 cm).
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the finely chopped onion in the remaining drippings in the skillet for about 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Pour the heavy cream, crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, dark soy sauce, concentrated veal stock, and dried thyme into the skillet. Stir thoroughly and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Season with additional pepper to taste if desired.
5. Pour the warm sauce evenly over the pork chops in the baking dish. Scatter the grated cheese generously over the top.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beautifully golden brown and the pork is cooked through (internal temperature of at least 70 °C).
7. Remove from the oven, garnish with finely chopped parsley, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.