Pork Chops With Morel Sauce

German-inspired pork with a hearty sauce. From a recipe card at Wegmans grocery. If you can't find Quark Cheese, substitute fromage frais (very similar) OR yogurt cheese (more acidic) OR two parts ricotta cheese and one part sour cream OR strained cottage cheese OR mascarpone. Serve with blanched swiss chard and spaetzles with nutmeg.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  cooking oil
• 1  tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1⁄2 ounce dried morel
• 32  ounces center-cut pork chops (4 chops, about 8 oz each)
• 1  tablespoon flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 2  teaspoons butter
• 1⁄2 tablespoon shallot, peeled, chopped (about 1/2 large shallot)
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 1  cup demi-glace
• 1⁄4 cup Quark (like Fromage Blanc)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cooking oil and thyme in small dish; set aside.
3. Soak mushrooms in 1 cup warm water 30-60 minutes.
4. Dust chops with seasoned flour; pat off excess.
5. Heat large ovenproof skillet on medium-high. Add just enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan and heat until oil faintly smokes.
6. Carefully place chops in pan. Turn when carmelized (edges turn paper-bag brown about 1/4 of the way up the sides), 3-5 minutes.
7. Top each chop with 1/4 Tbsp butter; drizzle with the thyme seasoned cooking oil (basting oil).
8. Place skillet with chops in oven and bake 15-20 minutes, until thermometer inserted into thickest part of chops reads 145 degrees.
9. Meanwhile, manually squeeze water from mushrooms (save liquid). Slice mushrooms in half lengthwise.
10. Heat 1 tsp butter in medium skillet on medium-high. Stir in shallots and mushroom. Add wine and reserved mushroom liquid; simmer until almost dry, 10-15 minutes.
11. Stir in demi-glace and Quark; heat to simmering.
12. Add remaining 1 tsp butter.
13. Remove skillet from oven; let chops rest 5 minutes to reach 150 degrees.
14. Serve sauce over chops.