Smothered Pork Chops with Mustard and Thyme

The other morning, before I left for work, I pulled a couple of pork chops out of the freezer and threw them in the fridge to thaw. I was thinking simple seasonings and a good grilling. But then my other half had a rough day at work. Comfort food was called for. Found a recipe in Cooking Light and adapted it a bit. With a few pantry ingredients (Beef broth? Check. Dijon mustard? Got it. Dried thyme? But of course.) and a side of rice to soak up the delicious sauce, a dinner legend was born.

Smothered Pork Chops with Mustard and Thyme
Makes 2 servings. (That's as written. There was plenty of gravy leftover. I would be quite easy to nestle a couple more pork chops in for the long simmer.)

1 can beef broth
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more for coating pork chops
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 cups thinly sliced onion
Fresh thyme leaves for optional garnish

Combine beef broth, milk, 2 tablespoons flour, and mustard in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

Lightly coat each pork chop with flour. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops to pan; sauté 1 1/2 minutes on each side until pork is lightly browned.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Add milk mixture, stirring with a whisk. Stir in dried thyme. Add pork. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour and fifteen minutes. (You might have to adjust cooking times up or down based on thickness of pork chops.)

Serve sprinkled with fresh thyme leaves.

Food/Wine Pairing: This dish wanted a light red, but something assertive enough to stand up to the slightly tangy pan gravy. I uncorked a Syrah from California and thought the pairing was a homerun.