Braised pork chops and creamy cabbage

Just when you thought it was time to put the cold-weather cookbooks downstairs, along comes a cool spring day that makes a nice braised dish seem very appetizing. This recipe from Molly Stevens' All About Braising is simple enough for a weekday and tasty enough for an out of town guest.

Pat 4 1-in. thick bone-in loin pork chops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the chops in flour (shaking off excess) put them in a skillet with 3 Tbl of hot olive oil without crowding (I did them in two batches). Don't move them for a good 4 min. so they form a crisp brown crust, then turn them over for another 3 to 4 min. Remove and set aside.

Melt 2 Tbl of butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tsp. caraway seed and 1 tsp. yellow mustard seed and saute for 1 or 2 min. until the seeds start popping. Add 2 thinly sliced medium shallots and cook for 2 min., then add 1/2 of a small cabbage (about 1 lb.), shredded, and turn heat down to medium-low. Stir and let cabbage wilt, not brown, for 10 min. Add 1/2 c. white wine and simmer for 1 or 2 min., then add 1 Tbl cider vinegar and 2/3 c. water. Stevens also adds a chicken bouillon cube to boost the flavor. Place the chops into the simmering braise, overlapping if necessary, cover and cook for 20 min., turning the chops halfway through.

I worried my chops were too big to cook just 20 min. and blithely let them sit there longer while we waited for our guest, so they got a bit overdone. Take Stevens' word for it, 20 min. is enough. Remove chops, turn up heat and add 1/4 c. heavy cream and let it boil away for 5 min. or so until the sauce thickens and the cabbage gets all creamy. Spoon the cabbage over the chops. We served with wild rice.