Ever since I married Mr. Sodium, I have tried to make a decent pork chop. Now internet, this took me about 9 years, I’m slow to the down-home favorites. It’s not at all in my wheelhouse of Mediterranean cooking (I’d rather roast a pork loin with some sort of pesto), but I try because pork chops are a childhood favorite for Mr. Sodium. After many failed attempts, poor gravy included, I have figured it out — with my own flair of course!

No-salt pork chops recipe:

2 bone-in pork chops

1/3 C all-purpose flour

1/4 t fresh ground pepper

1/4 t chipotle powder (or more if you like it spicy!)

2 T cooking oil (I used safflower, but olive oil is also a good choice)

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 C white wine

1 1/2 C no added salt chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basics)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 T heavy cream

Fresh chopped parsley

Asparagus (if desired on the side) roasted with olive oil, pepper and white wine; sprinkled with lemon juice

Rice or egg noodles (if desired on the side)

1. Coat chops in mixture of flour, pepper and chipotle powder. (If making asparagus, preheat oven to 400 degrees.)

2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown chops on all sides. Remove from pan.

3. Reduce to medium, add shallot and saute until golden, add garlic and cook another minute or so.

4. Add white wine to pan, stirring and allowing liquid to reduce by half. Add stock, bring to a boil.

5. Add chops back to pan, add rosemary and thyme sprigs, reduce to low heat, cover and simmer until cooked through (about 15-20 minutes for thin chops, longer for thick cuts).

6. At this point, I work on simple sides, such as asparagus drizzled in olive oil with a little white wine, sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper, roasted for 15-20 minutes then sprinkled with fresh lemon juice. And something to soak up the pan sauce, such as rice or egg noodles. You guessed it, Mr. Sodium prefers rice.

7. Remove chops from pan, cover in foil to keep warm, and discard rosemary and thyme sprigs. Turn burner to high, stirring and allowing liquid to reduce, about 3-5 minutes.

8. Reduce to low heat and add cream. Stir to mix and allow it a minute to thicken.

9. Serve chops with sides and pan sauce, and sprinkled with parsley.

10. Steal your man’s heart right through his stomach, enjoy a nice glass of syrah — or at least that’s what I’d do!

Sodium count per serving (with asparagus): 270 mg