I must admit, I did pinch and adapt this sauce from my Pork Schnitzels, just because I love it so much! Turns out it works really delightfully with regular pork chops. Follow me…
Pan-Fried Pork Chops
When it comes to preparing the pork chops, you’ll want to do 3 things:
Room temp – I like to bring the pork close to room temp to help relax the meat and ensure it cooks through evenly. Dry – Patting the pork dry will remove moisture, which in turn helps it caramelise in the pan more efficiently. Season – No fancy seasoning needed, just some salt, pepper and garlic powder!
What kind of pork chops should I use?
Here I’m just using boneless pork loin steaks. They’re relatively small/thin, so they cook through quickly. You can use thick cut pork chops, or even pork shoulder steaks, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking times slightly. You only want the pork just about cooked, because it’ll carry on cooking slightly as it rests and when you put it back in the sauce.
Pork Fat
Unless the pork chops are lean, or you’re using pork medallions, there will likely be a thick strip of fat on one side. Depending on how thick it is, you might want to consider scoring it (making small slices in it). This will prevent the chops from curling up in the pan when you fry them. I also like to flip the chops on their side and render down the fat in the pan. This will add a huge amount of flavour to the sauce. Process shots: pat pork dry (photo 1), season (photo 2), add to pan (photo 3), fry (photo 4), stack (photo 5), render fat (photo 6).
Creamy Lemon Thyme Sauce for Pork
The sauce actually starts where the pork left off, so don’t drain away any of the leftover fat!
How lemony is the sauce?
This is completely in your control! I recommend the zest of a whole lemon, which adds a subtle lemon flavour. From there I typically add in the juice of half the lemon, but I recommend working to taste. Just a note for when you’re removing the zest to only remove the waxy yellow part, not the white part (that part is very bitter!) Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), fry shallots (photo 2), fry garlic, thyme and lemon zest (photo 3), stir in chicken stock and cream (photo 4), stir in Dijon mustard and lemon juice (photo 5), simmer (photo 6).
Can I use a different cut of pork?
Any type of pork chop or steak will do the trick. Pork tenderloin would also work really well! I recommend following my Creamy Mustard Pork Tenderloins for guidance on cooking the pork, then just use this recipe for the sauce.
Won’t the lemon juice curdle the sauce?
So long as you’re using heavy (US) or double (UK) cream, the sauce won’t curdle. As such, I don’t recommend using anything lighter (half & half/single cream).
How do I thicken the sauce?
It will thicken – promise! Just keep gently simmering and stirring away. The lemon juice and mustard will both also help thicken the sauce.
Can I use dried thyme?
Fresh thyme is a must. You don’t simmer the sauce long enough for dried thyme to efficiently infuse the sauce.
Serving Creamy Lemon Thyme Pork Chops
Here I’ve served with Roast Potatoes and Asparagus. I used my Roasted Baby Potatoes Recipe and chucked in some asparagus for the last 10 mins or so of cooking. Mashed Potato would also work really well! For the other versions of this recipe check out my Creamy Lemon Chicken and Creamy Lemon Salmon! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy lemon thyme pork shall we!?
How to make Creamy Lemon Thyme Pork Chops (Full Recipe & Video)
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