Pork with Cider Cream Sauce

Another recipe with an interesting sauce that intrigued me and my tastebuds so I knew that it had to be made. I am normally a fan of the traditional apple sauce with pork. The pork cutlets in this dish were not only accompanied by the Cider Cream Sauce but with pear wedges adding yet another delicately flavoured element.

As we are not fans of the taste of celery I omitted the celeriac from the mash, serving our meal with full potato mash and also thickened the sauce slightly with cornflour overall making the meal higher in ProPoints but plated with point free vegetables it made for a filling and well balanced meal.

Pork with Cider Cream Sauce

(recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine May 2011)

Serves: 4

ProPoints per serve: 11

800 grams potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup skim milk

1 teaspoon reduced fat butter/spread

cooking spray

2 medium pears, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each

4 x 200 gram pork cutlets, all visible fat removed

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 small brown onion chopped

1 garlic cloves crushed

1/2 cup sparkling apple cider

1/2 cup chicken stock (made with stockcube)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons thickened light cream

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until very tender. Drain. Add milk and butter. Mash until very smooth.

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

Lightly spray a large non stick frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Cook pear wedges for 5 minutes or until browned. Place on an oven tray and cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes or until softenend.

Add pork to the pan and cook for 3 - 4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Heat oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add cider and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 1 - 2 minutes or until reduced slightly. Add stock and mustard and simmer for 4 minutes or until reduced slightly.

Add combined cornflour and water, stirring continuously, until thickened slightly. Stir through chives.

Divide mash and pears among serving plates. Top with pork, drizzle over cider sauce and stir.

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)