These Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce, known in French as côtes de porc sauce tomate, are an easy French-style dinner with a wonderfully creamy sauce made with fresh tomato, white wine, Dijon mustard and a little cream. The pork chops are first browned in butter and oil, then finished gently in the sauce so they absorb all those delicious flavours. It is comforting dish that turns everyday ingredients into something that feels a little special. Serve the chops with potatoes, pasta or a good piece of crusty French bread to catch every last drop of sauce.
Pork is widely used all over France and is made into endless pork sausages and other meats which are all so good.
But for this recipe we are using small but good quality pork chops which you can purchase from your butcher or supermarket as they will give good results.
The sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, wine or stock such as chicken or vegetable and a little tomato paste and Dijon mustard.
Of course, the final ingredient is cream so if you are on a diet, choose this recipe for a special occasion or just have a small amount if you can, I tend to pour too much over the chops as it is so delicious.
Suggestions For Side Dishes
One of the tastiest side dishes for this is:
- a straw potato nest
- or you can serve it with creamy mashed potatoes with cheese called Aligot
- boiled potatoes
- noodles
- or pasta
- and always an apple dish for your digestion such as baked apple, apple sauce, sautéed apple
Other Yummy Recipes
📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
Pork Chops In Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Loin chops
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup white wine or chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup cream or crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tomato peeled, seeded, and chopped (pour boiling water over the tomato for a few minutes and it will peel easily)
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
- Trim pork chops (too much fat is not good for you)
- Melt the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan until hot.
- Place chops into the hot oil, season with salt and pepper, and reduce heat a little so they do not burn.
- Cook until brown (a few minutes) and turn them.
- Cook again until brown then remove from pan and keep warm.
- Pour out fat from pan.
- Add the wine or stock along with the thyme and bring to a boil and cook until it has almost evaporated.
- Add the chopped tomato paste and the cream, stirring continuously.
- Now place the pork chops back into the pan and continue to cook for a further five minutes over low heat.
- Finally add the mustard, herbs, and chopped tomatoes stirring to incorporate them into the sauce.
Notes
- Stay with this while cooking to keep an eye on the progress of each step.
- Pour the cream in slowing while stirring constantly. If you use crème fraîche you will not have to worry about the cream separating as it is heat stable.
Loved it, tweaked it, or not your "cup of tea"... I’d really love to hear how it went for you.