Pork Chops with Mushrooms Baked under Cheese

Preparation

1. For the pork chop with mushrooms baked under cheese to come out juicy and tender, don’t use freshly slaughtered meat: it has to be cooked by special rules.

2. Shops usually sell neatly cut and trimmed chops: buy ones of roughly the same size with a minimum of fat on the surface. There is almost always a strip of fat along the edge, and it suits the dish well.

3. Buy small fresh button mushrooms and a hard cheese for baking: cheddar or cheddar-style mozzarella work perfectly.

   

4. Wash the pork chops, pat them dry with paper towels and remove large pieces of fat, leaving a thin strip along the edge.

5. Pound the meat lightly to an even thickness. Don’t pound it too hard, except for the thick parts, which are often near the bone and along the outer edge.

Frying the meat and mushrooms

1. Heat a grill or grill pan and brush the ridged surface or grate with a little vegetable oil.

2. Lay the meat on the very hot surface and cook on both sides until almost done. A small cut should show pink juices.

   

3. Clean the mushrooms of any soil and wash them well. Cut them into thick strips or slices.

4. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry, stirring, until golden.

   The mushrooms release liquid almost at once; it evaporates quickly and they start to brown.

   

Assembling and baking

1. Get a baking dish ready: I use ceramic or ovenproof glass ones. The meat doesn’t overbake on the bottom in them, and they are much easier to clean afterwards.

2. Transfer the fried pork chops to the baking dish, leaving a gap between the pieces. Season the meat with salt and ground black pepper.

3. Spread the mushrooms over the pork chops in an even layer. Try not to let the mushrooms fall off the meat onto the bottom of the dish.

   

4. Grate the cheese coarsely.

   By the way, make sure you’ve bought real cheese, not a cheese product, or the result will disappoint you: instead of a beautiful cheese crust you’ll get half a cup of strange liquid oil and a hardened mass.

5. Spread all the cheese over the chops and mushrooms. Don’t let the cheese get onto the bottom of the dish between the pieces of meat or right against the sides.

6. Press the cheese down lightly with your palms. There’s no need to grease the top: the cheese bakes beautifully without any extra tricks.

   

7. Preheat the oven to 180–190°C. When it’s well heated, put the dish with the chops in.

8. While baking, turn the dish from time to time so the cheese browns evenly. Baking usually takes about 30–35 mins, but go by how golden the cheese surface is.

   You may need to add a little time for the cheese to brown nicely. The pork chop with mushrooms will certainly be done, since it was already cooked beforehand.

   

Serving

1. Take the dish with the chops under cheese out of the oven and set it on a cutting board: careful, the dish is very hot.

2. Use a knife to loosen the cheese crust from the sides of the dish: it usually dries out more there and may stick.

3. Separate the chops in the dish too, then transfer them to plates. This tasty, filling dish needs no side, but add fresh or fried vegetables or French fries if you like. Serve the chops while hot.

   

   Sometimes pork chops are cut very thick. You can pound them harder or, if possible, slice them through horizontally. Instead of button mushrooms you can use any edible mushrooms, store-bought or wild. Don’t overdo the seasoning: a little salt and black pepper, so the meat keeps its delicate taste and aroma.

   A simple recipe for fried pork chops with mushrooms and a baked cheese crust. Give it a try!