Pork Chops in Sour Cream– Chicago Tribune June 1970

My Grandma was a “lake girl.” My mom and uncles still remember her swimming out to the middle of Okauchee Lake to say hello to the boats passing by. She would just wade out there for hours and revel. I got a part of that. By the time I came around, Grandma would be willing to lay out in a tube all day- she did have to have her hair done every Thursday after all. My brother and I would be put to the challenge of pushing our mother and grandmother around the point and we would climb out of the lake on the other side of the point at the Baisey’s house. June Baisey was a little older than Nona and they’d known each other their whole lives.

Today we chose a pork chop recipe. It was in the Chicago Tribune July, 1971. The Schubert family got to try it for the first time in July of 1971. This was not just any pork chop recipe! I remember my mom begging Grandma for it- and for her making it for my brother and I in the electric skillet at our house. I grew up on 20th Ave in San Francisco, CA, but the electric skillet wasn’t new to her. My granddad had one at the lake house. I’m not sure if it came from their house in Glenview, IL but I do know that the last time I tried to use the one he used in Wisconsin there were two functions- on and off, the thing was done. One nice thing about a big skillet like that is you can cook the 6 pork chops for which this recipe calls. Derek and I were excited to have the evening to ourselves, so we only bought two chops. It was a mutual decision to keep the entire recipe of gravy…

We went to the Oxbow Market again in Napa. This recipe calls for a can of concentrated beef consommé. I had one heck of a time finding replacement recipes. The best I could do was to make a rich beef broth and boil the two cups down that I needed for this recipe. Why not use all of it though?! We went all onion, all night. French onion soup and this onion based consommé and pork chop.

We only cooked two chops. We’ve been turned on to these “heritage” pork chops in Sonoma County. These pigs have to live twice as long to produce their finest, and for that reason they’ve been left out of the high produced breeding pool used for most pork in this country. But. They. Taste. So. Good. They’re pasture raised and get to live a nice, happy, long life until they get bopped on the head.

My grandma knew how to read a recipe. She was constantly searching through newspapers and finding things that her family would love. I’d like to think I have that skill, but I end up with a lot of duds. Good thing she marked her recipes.

The Brookers agree, VG- 100%. Thanks Grandma.

Pork Chops in Sour Cream– Chicago Tribune June 1970

INGREDIANTS

6 pork chops

1 tsp sage

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 tbsp salt

2 medium onions sliced

1 an 10 oz beef consomme

3 tbsp flour

1 cup sour cream

2 tbsp minced parsley

Directions

Rub pork chops with sage + pepper + salt. Brown in fat on both sides. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Remove chops. Blend flour with ½ cup sour cream into pan liquid. Add remaining sour in. Cook over low heat.

Homemade beef consommé (with plenty of leftover stock)

Ingredients

· 6 pounds beef soup bones

· 1 large onion 

· 3 large carrots 

· 1/2 cup water 

· 2 stalks celery, including some leaves 

· 1 large tomato 

· 1/2 cup chopped parsnip

· 1 medium potato 

· 8 whole black peppercorns 

· 4 sprigs fresh parsley 

· 1 bay leaf 

· 1 tablespoon salt 

· 2 teaspoons dried thyme 

· 2 cloves garlic

· 12 cups water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. Trim root end off onion. Slice or quarter the onion, peel and all. Scrub carrots and chop into 1-inch chunks. In a large shallow roasting pan, place soup bones, onion, and carrots. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until the bones are well browned, turning occasionally.

3. Drain off fat. Place the browned bones, onion, and carrots in a large stock pot. Pour 1/2 cup water into the roasting pan and rinse. Pour this liquid into soup pot.

4. Scrub the potato and chop it into chunks, peel and all. Chop the celery stalks into thirds. Add celery, tomato, parsnip, potato, peppercorns, parsley (including stems), bay leaf, salt, thyme, and garlic to the pot. Pour in the 12 cups of water.

5. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 hours. Strain stock. Discard meat, vegetables, and seasonings.

6. Put two cups of the stock into a pot and cook, unocovered, until it has reduced by two thirds or a little more. This should leave around 1¼ cups of condensed beef stock, or condensed beef consommé.