Herbed Pork with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

Make this super-fast dinner with the help of Match pork. You'll have to excuse the ingredient item listed as "steak seasoning."  Perhaps we could give it a nickname, like "Match seasoning," but steak seasoning is the label under which it is sold.  Essentially a blend of cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic, and salt, you could also mix up your own blend at home. Or, just use all cracked black pepper instead, in which case I recommend decreasing the amount to 1 teaspoon.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• Cooking spray
• 3 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons steak seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound Match pork, thawed
• 1 cup vegan chicken broth (such as Imagine)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Add the shiitake mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the pan.

2. Divide the pork into 4 portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch thick patty.  Rub the steak seasoning and thyme evenly over the pork.  Add to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the broth and cornstarch in a bowl.  Add to the skillet, along with the mushrooms, and bring to a boil; cook for a final minute, until the broth is slightly thickened.

Because the sauce is somewhat thin, I recommend serving over a bed of something to soak up all the extra broth. One option is soft polenta sprinkled with vegan Parmesan sprinkles.

Or try steamed brown rice:

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 pork piece, about 1/3 cup sauce), Calories 181 

Tasting Notes:
The spice rub was great - full of black pepper and thyme - but alas I was disappointed by the sauce.  Even thinner and blander than I expected, it definitely needed something more. Soy sauce might add earthy, salty notes that would liven up the dish.  The shiitake mushrooms were good, but also a touch bland.  I might use baked tofu steaks instead of the pork next time and see if the overall effect is better.  But extra points for the spice rub.

Rating:
3