Pan Roasted Veal Chops with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

So, after rummaging through my pantry and throwing some things together, I made up this whole recipe as I went along. That is possibly one of the finest feelings in the culinary arts, not knowing exactly where one’s inspiration is coming from but simply going with the flow. When it works and the dish comes out with quality like this, it’s a wonderful thing.

Ingredients
For the Herb Rub
2 tbsp dry rubbed sage
2 tbsp lemon pepper (like, Mrs. Dash)
2 tbsp dried oregano leaves
2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp salt smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Co. alder wood)

Ingredients
For everything else
2 1-1/2 inch thick veal rib chops
1 large shallot, finely minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 dozen large shiitake mushrooms
6 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red wine
½ cup beef stock (like, Kitchen Basics)
½ cup dry sherry
½ cup ruby port wine
2 tbsp beef bouillon concentrate (like, Better Than Bouillon)
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice from ½ lemon
2 tbsp flour dissolved in 4-5 oz water (called a “slurry”)

The Recipe
Take the rib chops out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking.  

Mix all the herb rub ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a whisk until evenly incorporated. Take a small amount of olive oil and rub it into each side of both chops; then press each chop into the herbs so that they are evenly coated on all sides. Reserve two tablespoons of the remaining herb rub. Let the chops rest for 10-15 minutes before cooking to let the seasonings soak into the meat. Do not set the chops on top of one another. 

Pull the stems out of the shiitake mushrooms and discard them. Clean and slice each mushroom cap into thin strips.

Heat half the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat, then toss in the shallots.  Sauté for a couple of minutes until they become limp and begin to pick up a little color.  Toss in the mushrooms.  Sauté them for about ten minutes; add the minced garlic and cook another couple of minutes.  Add the butter and when melted, sprinkle the two tablespoons of reserved herb rub in the pan and stir to combine.

Reserve a quarter cup of the red wine and set aside. Mix the rest of the red wine, the port, sherry, beef stock and the beef bouillon concentrate in the sauce pan with the mushroom mixture; bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Then, lower the heat and keep the sauce on a slow simmer while you cook the chops.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a cast iron skillet with the remaining olive oil on medium high heat until shimmering, then sear the chops two minutes on each side. Put the skillet in the pre-heated oven and continue cooking them for 10 minutes.

Remove the chops from the oven, take them out of the cast iron skillet and cover with aluminum foil for ten minutes while you finish the sauce and turn it into gravy.

De-glaze the skillet with the reserved 1/4 cup of red wine, scraping up all of the roasted brown bits and add this to the saucepan with the gravy.  Bring the gravy back to a boil, and add the lemon juice and the balsamic vinegar. While the sauce is simmering, add a little bit of the slurry at a time until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Allow the gravy to simmer for at least one minute after you introduce the slurry.

Spoon the sauce and plenty of the mushrooms over the chops before serving and perhaps over some boiled and smashed red potatoes, too.