Pan seared pork cutlets with mustard sauce, braised red cabbage and sweet potato mash

Do you ever find yourself looking at what other people have in their supermarket trolley...? I do.

I find it interesting to see what people collect in their trolleys. Sometimes I look and think that’s a great idea, I might try that, other times I am horrified and leave that particular isle rather quickly.

Recently I had in my possession two lovely free range pork cutlets that I had just purchased from my butcher. I was a little stuck for what to serve along side them and felt a little trolley stalking was in order. Lucky for me on my first peak I spotted a lovely red cabbage.

Inspired I set about creating my dish of pan seared pork cutlets with mustard sauce, braised red cabbage and sweet potato mash.

Serves 2

2 x 200gram free range pork cutlets (rind on please)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and cracked black pepper taste

1 heaped tablespoon of good Dijon mustard

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon butter

Salt and cracked black pepper taste

Braised red cabbage

¼ small head red cabbage shredded

1 read onion sliced

1 green apple cored, peeled and sliced into half moons

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

Good glug of balsamic vinegar

Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Squeeze of lemon juice

Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

To a heavy based pot add your olive oil, butter and red onion, season with salt and cook on a low heat until onions begin to caramelise. Add cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes. Once cabbage has wilted slightly add the sliced apple, balsamic and splash of water.

Cook cabbage on a low heat stirring occasionally for one hour. Once cooked remove from heat and lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Mashed sweet potato

500gram orange sweet potato pealed and cut into medium sized pieced

1 tablespoon butter

Dash milk or stock

Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Cook sweet potato in a pot of salted boiling water until tender. Remove from heat and drain well. Add butter , milk or stock and mash until smooth. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to 220ºC.

Heat an oven proof fry pan over medium-high heat

Cut little incisions in the pork rinds to stop your pork cutlets curling up when cooking and rub with olive oil. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and add to your fry pan.

Allow pork to cook for three minutes with out touching, turning or poking at it. Flip over and place entire pan in the oven to cook for 10 minutes.

Remove pork from the pan and place on a warmed plate to rest while you crack on with the sauce.

Add your pan back on the stove on a medium heat and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add chicken stock, mustard, thyme leaves and mix well (a small whisk works well) Allow sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Add juices from the resting plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove sauce from heat and add butter (this will bring your sauce together and give your sauce a lovely shine)

Serve pork cutlets on warmed plates with braised red cabbage and sweet potato mash. Drizzle with mustard sauce and serve immediately.