Rockin' Good Pork Chops

Chops au poivre with spaetzle, from Dawn Welch of The Rock Cafe.

If you haven’t been out to Stroud to visit Dawn Welch‘s Rock Cafe, you’re really missing out.  It’s far more than a historic Route 66 tourist stop, it’s the heart and soul of Stroud. Whether you eat or not, you leave The Rock energized, thanks to the effervescent and boundlessly energetic owner. While restoring her landmark eatery following a devastating fire in 2008, Dawn also wrote a book called “Dollars to Donuts.” Her goal is to extend the community she’s started at the Rock and let it grow on here.

If you haven’t been to The Rock, it’s only about a half hour away. In honor of one The Rock’s specialities, I tried out Dawn’s recipe for pork chops and spaetzle for the family. The result was a big hit with the kiddos. My ultra-picky daughter, Kate, actually asked if we could have “those noodle things” again because “I loved that!” If only you knew how much heartache this 10-year-old has imposed on me with her brutal and direct assessment of my culinary skills, “Yuck!”… “I’m not really hungry anymore”…”What are we having for dinner tomorrow?”

I did make a little pan gravy, using the juices from the chops. I made a simple light roux, 3 tablespoons hot oil plus 1 tablespoon of flour. I added about a half cup of water then all the juices. Thickened up within 5 minutes.

Here’s the playlist I listened to while I made it:

1. Magic Carpet Ride, Steppenwolf
2. Atomic, Blondie
3. Tainted Love (Where did our love go mix), Soft Cell
4. Carrie Ann, The Hollies
5. Reelin’ in the Years, Steely Dan
6. Eaten by the Monster of Love, Sparks
7. The Break, Soul Asylum
8. Erase it Again, Sparta
9. Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen
10. The Joker, Steve Miller Band
11. The Boxer, Simon and Garfunkel
12. It’s Tricky, Run DMC
13. September Gurls, Big Star

 Here’s an excerpt from the book followed by the recipe…