Pork Chops in an Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

These pork chops in an Irish whiskey cream sauce make a simple but special dinner for two!

What can I say? It’s hard to go wrong with big, juicy pork chops, mushrooms, and a boozy cream sauce.

I was invited by a few of my blogger buddies to take part in a St. Patrick’s Day recipe roundup, so that’s how this whiskey pork chops recipe came to fruition. Ok, this may not exactly be traditional Irish fare, but I couldn’t resist making a delicious sauce out of some Irish whiskey. Making a whiskey sauce has been on my radar for a while now, and this was the perfect opportunity. I admit I don’t really celebrate St. Patrick’s Day myself, but that’s ok. 😉

Let’s talk about these pork chops. I bought fairly thick ones (like over 1″ thick), so they’re definitely not the fast-fry variety. To take care of that, I used my trusty oven-proof skillet and let the oven do the majority of the cooking after I seared them. To cook pork properly, it should reach an internal temperature of 145F. That temperature ensures they’re cooked enough but don’t go leathery. You will see a hint of pink, and that’s totally fine.

You can use thinner pork chops for the recipe just be sure to adjust cooking time so they aren’t overcooked.

You’ll see plenty of peppercorns in my photos, but I would like to point out that if you don’t like the potent flavor of whole peppercorns, it’s possible to phorget them.

I went a little crazy with the peppercorns. I’ll tone it down next time, and I adjusted the recipe to reflect that one teaspoon is probably the max you want to add.

So. Do you celebrate St. Paddy’s Day? I don’t know, I just never really got into it. I sometimes wear green if I remember. Back in the day mean people used to pinch me because of that leprechaun tradition. Bad memories really. 😛

Here’s those fabulous St. Patrick’s Day recipes from my lovely fellow food bloggers:

A big thanks to Lynn for organizing this!

And, without further ado, here’s the whiskey pork chops recipe:

5 from 4 votes

Pork Chops in an Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

By Natasha Bull

Thick-cut pork chops in an Irish whiskey cream sauce.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 thick pork chops bone-in
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1/2 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 7 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1/3 cup Irish whiskey
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• ▢ Pinch of nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tsp mixed peppercorns or to taste (optional)
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Season pork chops generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the olive oil to a large, oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the pork chops for 4-5 minutes on each side (don't move them around until it's time to flip them) until they're nicely golden/browned. Turn the heat down if they start to splatter a lot. Remove chops from the pan and set aside.
• Add the butter and onions to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the whiskey and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the cream, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and peppercorns (if using). Put the pork chops back in the pan.
• Place the skillet in the oven until the pork chops are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 145F in the thickest part. The timing will really depend on how thick your pork chops are and how cool they were when you added them back into the pan (10-15 minutes is a good starting point for 1" thick chops. If you find they're still not done, continue cooking and check every few minutes.). If your pork chops are thinner than 3/4 inch, I would suggest checking them before 10 minutes so you don't overcook them.
• Season with extra salt & pepper if needed. Serve immediately. These are delicious with mashed potatoes (try colcannon for an Irish twist).

Notes

• This recipe is intended for fairly thick pork chops (around 1" thick). For the thinner, fast-fry varieties, I would cut down cooking time (searing time and time in oven) so you don't overcook them. Make sure to check them often. At 145F, pork chops will still have a hint of pink, but won't be overdone.

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