Pork chops and creamy polenta with balsamic mushroom ragù

These ingredients make for a delicious savoury meal. It could well be the ultimate dinner winner of the autumn season!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 small bone-in pork chops (look for ones of a similar thickness)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

MUSHROOM RAGU

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 450g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme + extra for topping
• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
• 3 tbsp sundried tomatoes, puréed (optional)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chopped Italian parsley, to serve

POLENTA

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C. Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper and cook until browned, roughly 3-4 minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate.
2. To make the ragu, reduce heat to medium and add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened, but not browned.
3. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Continue cooking until mushrooms become tender and the liquid evaporates.
4. Stir in garlic, thyme, chilli, tomatoes (optional), balsamic vinegar and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a small amount of water if you’d like it to be saucier.
5. Nestle chops in the mushrooms and roast until chops are just cooked through (about 5-6 minutes).
6. Meanwhile, for polenta, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
7. Whisk in polenta and salt. Reduce heat to low and whisk continuously until slightly thickened and no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan, roughly 2-3 minutes.
8. Cover and continue cooking, stirring and scraping sides of the pan every 10 minutes until the polenta is soft and creamy: 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and unsalted butter until fully melted.
9. Serve pork and mushroom ragù over polenta and garnish with parsley and/or more grated Parmesan.