Pork Chops Hochelaga
This recipe is inspired by the largest and most famous of Canada’s restaurants at the ’67 Expo, the Tundra. The menu describes this dish as a “modern adaptation of a Century-old recipe where braised pork chops are enhanced by cinnamon and cloves,” but alas does not point to the original recipe. The most likely culprit can be found in La Cuisinière Canadienne by Louis Perrault.
Here is our adaptation of this adaptation, updated to accomodate modern meats and spices, presented in the cosmopolitan spirit of the Expo itself. Read more about our hunt for Pork Chops Hochelaga here.
Ingredients
- 2 pork chops
- 2-3 Tbsp flour for dredging
- Salt to taste
- Butter or lard for frying
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup stock or water
- 4 Tbsp cornichons, chopped
- 1 tsp juice from pickle jar
- Dijon mustard for garnish
- Parsley for garnish
Spice blend
- 1 inch cinnamon stick, ground
- 2 cloves, ground
- 1 Tbsp fresh, coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf, ground
- 1 tsp thyme
- ½ tsp rosemary
- ¼ tsp celery seed
Method
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1
Mix spice blend together in a bowl.
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2
Rinse pork chops and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle both sides with half the spices, salt, then flour.
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3
Add butter to a thick-bottomed or enamel pot on medium-high heat. Add pork chops and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove pork chops from pot and set aside.
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4
Add more butter to pot if needed. Place green onions and garlic in the pot and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté until colored, 2-3 minutes.
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5
Add remaining half of the spice blend and stir well. Add stock, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. When sauce is reduced, add cornichons and stir.
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6
Add pork chops to pot, coat with the sauce, and simmer gently another minute or two until pork chops are cooked through.
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7
Serve garnished with chopped parsley and mustard. Feel free to stir the mustard into the sauce if you like.
