Pork Chops Diane was a regular menu item at the old Midway restaurant before it changed hands, burned down, then rose from the ashes as a very different place. There’s little evidence left of the Midway’s history. The restaurant is right down the road from Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which he established as a retreat for for children with serious illnesses. In addition to Paul Newman, numerous celebrities frequented the joint when they were visiting the camp, and of course there were pictures on the walls memorializing the famous visitors to our little road house.
When we first moved to Ashford, we didn’t check it out, put off by the sign “Trucker’s Welcome” out front. There were too many other places to explore. But eventually we wandered in and were pleasantly surprised. Pork Chops Diane became one of Ron’s favorite dishes. It’s no longer on the menu, so I had to try my hand at re-creating it. It’s taken me a couple of years to develop this recipe, which I believe is pretty faithful to the original.
Pork Chops Diane
Equipment
- 12-inch stainless steel skillet (large enough for four chops)
Ingredients
- 1 pound mushrooms (a mix of shiitakes and crimini is nice)
- 1 shallot
- fresh chives and parsley, for garnish
- 4 thick-cut, bone-in pork chops
- 2 T butter
- ¼ cup cognac
- 1 cup beef stock
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 t capers
- ¼ cup heavy cream (or more if you're feeling decadent)
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Prep the veg – Destem and slice the mushrooms. Mince the shallot. Mince the chives and chop the parsley and set aside.
- Grill the pork chops – Trim the excess fat off of the chops and discard. Generously salt and pepper the chops. Grill them like a steak, over high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, until the internal temperature is 125℉. Take off the grill, cover with foil and set aside (or stash in a warming oven).
- Make the sauce – Add the butter, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt to the skillet on medium heat. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and silky, then stir in the cognac, beef stock, mustard, capers, cream, and lemon juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has begun to thicken.
- Finish – Nestle the pork chops into the sauce, and cook until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 135℉. Remove the chops and place them on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the chops and garnish with minced chives and chopped parsley.
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