Pork Marsala with Mushrooms from Pioneer Woman Magazine

The Fall 2017 Issue of The Pioneer Woman’s Magazine is on Newsstands, which means that now there are even more amazing and easy recipes for home cooks everywhere. So, I’m sharing one of “Ree’s Family Meals”; Pork Marsala with Mushrooms, an easy and delectable dinnertime favorite. Follow along below, as I give you my step-by-step journey to preparing this flawless meal.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6):
6 boneless Pork Chops
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 tablespoons Butter
1 pound Whole White Button Mushrooms
1 cup Wine (Marsala or Pinot Grigio)
1 cup Low-Sodium Beef Broth
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
Fresh Parsley, chopped for serving
Optional: 1/2 a medium White Onion
Optional: 3 Garlic Cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:
First you’ll need to pound the pork chops into uniform thinness. Start by placing the pork chops in a large ziploc bag; press the excess air out of the bag, and close the ziploc seal, leaving about a half inch open for additional air to escape…

…and pound the pork chops with a meat mallet until they are approximately 1/4th inch thick. (If you don’t have a meat mallet you can use a rolling pin, or heavy skillet.)

I absolutely LOVE the ole’ “ziploc bag meat mallet trick”, it keeps little specks of meat from flying all over the kitchen.

Sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper on both sides of the pork chops.

Put the 1/2 cup of All-Purpose Flour in a shallow dish (or pie pan, like me), and dredge all the pork chops in the flour.

Next, put the 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 tablespoons of the Butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, allow the butter to melt…

… and, as you can see, I was also preparing some Pioneer Woman Stovetop Mashed Potatoes to serve with the Pork Marsala and Mushrooms (Get the recipe for the Stovetop Mashed Potatoes by clicking HERE).

Once the butter melts, add half of the pork chops to the skillet… and please, I repeat, PLEASE don’t overcrowd the pan with all 6 pork chops… just don’t! Some things should never be overcrowded, and skillets are one of those things.

Let the pork chops cook for approximately 2 minutes, then flip them over to the “B-Side”. Allow the chops to cook an additional minute on the “B-Side”; until they are delightfully golden brown on the outside and done in the middle. Set the cooked pork aside, and repeat the process with the remaining 3 pork chops; you can add more butter and olive oil if the pan gets too dry… (Note: I normally add more butter, even when it isn’t called for.)

Don’t clean the pan. You’ll want all those awesome, flavorful, pork and butter bits…

As you wait for the pork to cook you can prepare the vegetables; quarter the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and dice the onion.

Housewife Hint: The garlic and onion aren’t a part of The Pioneer Woman’s Pork Marsala Magazine recipe. It’s a trick that I learned from a marsala recipe in one of her older cookbooks. I once tried the garlic and onion addition and absolutely LOVED it, now I can’t make marsala sauce without it.

… add the onions, garlic, and quartered mushrooms to the pork chop pan. Stir them around well, letting all the leftover butter, oil, and pork bits cover the mushrooms.

Let the veggies cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes; until the mushrooms are soft and golden brown.

Now, it’s “Wine Time”, so I’m going to offer you some Wine Wisdom: I’m cooking on a glass stove top… But be very, VERY careful if you are cooking on a metal burner or over an open flame; sometimes the wine and open flame can ignite. So turn the burner off, pour in the wine, and then turn the burner back on. Just to be on the safe side…

Recipe Note: The recipe calls for Marsala Wine… But prefer Pinot Grigio… So, that’s what I used.

Add 1 cup of Wine.

Followed by 1 cup of Beef Broth.

Stir well, deglazing the pan, and scraping up all the different flavorful bits. Cook until the  liquid has reduced by half; be patient and attentive, it could take 5 to 6 minutes.

Housewife Hint: If the liquid appears to be reducing too quickly you can add additional beef broth, but this is a problem I’ve yet to encounter.

As you wait for the wine and broth to reduce you can prepare the cream sauce; in a small bowl combine 1/2 a cup of Heavy Cream and 2 teaspoons of Cornstarch…

… Whisk the cream and cornstarch together.

Once the marsala sauce is dark, rich, and reduced by half you can add the cream sauce. So, pour it in…

… stir it in, and let the sauce continue to cook and bubble for an additional minute, then turn off the heat.

… add the remaining 2 tablespoons of Butter, and stir it in, allowing it to melt gloriously throughout the sauce.

… and presto change-o, you’ve got yourself some amazing marsala sauce!

Now, serve the pork with a side of mashed potatoes, asparagus, buttered noodles, or whatever side item your heart desires… and top it off with a generous spoonful of mushrooms and marsala sauce.

Sprinkle it with some fresh Parsley… and Enjoy!

If you haven’t grabbed a copy of The Pioneer Woman’s Magazine yet then you absolutely should; you can find it at your local Walmart (among a couple other locations). You’ll be glad you did!

If you like this recipe then you’ll love my Chicken Marsala recipe (I actually referenced it in this recipe (the one with onions and garlic!); get the full step-by-step recipe by clicking HERE.

Also, get the Pioneer Woman Stovetop Mashed Potatoes recipe, mentioned in (and served with) this recipe, by clicking HERE.

Cook Long and Prosper.

Sincerely, The Uncustomary Housewife