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Pork Chops in Tomato, Wine and Pepper Sauce
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
The first dish that I ever cooked was pork chops simmered in an electric skillet
with sliced onion, green pepper and canned tomatoes. I was eleven or twelve,
and on occasions when my folks would be late getting home for dinner I
would sometimes find a note telling me that the chops were in the refrigerator
and to please have them cooked by dinner time.
I don’t think I browned the chops, but I always sliced an onion and a green
pepper to add to a can of whole tomatoes. They were cooked, covered, over
fairly slow heat and were tender and moist with a flavorful sauce when done.
Over the years, I would add the occasional can of mushrooms (fresh were not
available in our local markets) and began adding oregano or sage, but the
basic process remained the same. When I reached high school my forays into
the kitchen ended, to be resumed when I had children of my own.
Recently, my wife, Joanne saw a recipe for “Corsican Brined Pork Chops”. The
pork was brined with herbs, dried and seared over high heat. Herbs, wine,
olives and several other ingredients were added, and the dish was finished in
ten minutes. I felt that the recipe was a little fussy for a weeknight and
doubted that the cooking time was long enough for thick chops. Certainly
brining the pork increases moistness, but recent reports indicate that lean
modern pork requires slow cooking over lower temperatures or it will not be
tender. The pork that I was cooking years ago was darker and marbleized with
fat, while today’s “other white meat” is bred to be much leaner.
In Italy, I’ve had pork prepared similarly to this recipe and to the way it was
done in our house, so I decided to update my old recipe. With no time to brine
the chops, simmering the meat in the cooking liquid over low heat would give
it time to become tender and to absorb flavor. I chose thick center cut chops
and also bought some boneless “country style bottom pork spare ribs” which
were darker and less dense than the loin of the chops and certain to be tender
if the chops were not.
Shallots and garlic were sautéed and a can of organic whole tomatoes were
added and reduced instead of adding them directly with all their juices. The
meat was browned over high heat and removed from the pan which was then
deglazed with dry white wine and a cup of home made chicken stock. Having
done this well ahead, final preparation requires little attention and can be held
until dinner time.
Two portions:
2 1 ½ inch thick center cut pork chops, *locally raised, if available (12-14
ounces of boneless bottom pork spare ribs may be substituted).
28 ounces home canned tomatoes or best quality commercial tomatoes (I use
Muir Glenn)
2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for the sauce and for browning
¾ cup dry white wine
¾ cup good quality chicken stock
1 Bell pepper, preferably red or yellow, in ¼ inch slices
2 sprigs of fresh sage, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
2 sprigs fresh marjoram, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried (oregano or herbes de
Provence may be substituted for either the sage or marjoram)
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
Sauté the shallots and garlic until softened (3-4 minutes). Add the tomatoes,
mashing them to release juice. Turn the heat to medium-high, add salt and
pepper to taste and boil until juices are no longer runny and tomatoes have
thickened (10-15 minutes).
While the sauce is cooking, heat a second sauté pan over medium-high heat
and film the bottom with olive oil. Generously season the pork on both sides
with salt and pepper and place into the pan. Cook the chops until golden
brown on both sides. If the meat sticks to the pan, leave it until it “releases”, by
which time it should be browned.
Remove the chops from the pan and pour off the fat. Over medium-high heat,
deglaze the pan, adding the wine first and then the stock after the alcohol has
boiled off.
Reduce the heat to low, add the meat, 1 ½ cups of tomato sauce, the pepper
and the herbs. Cover and simmer over very low heat until the meat feels
tender when probed with a thin, sharp knife (approximately 30 minutes). Taste
the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately. If it is
done ahead, it can be cooled and refrigerated or left out for up to 2 hours.
Reheat over a low flame.
The chops were quite tender at thirty minutes, but I must confess that the spare
ribs were more so. I’ve also used these spare ribs sliced into thin strips and stir
fried and found them to be more moist and tender than other cuts. The sauce
was rich, and the peppers add a pleasant accent. Red and yellow peppers are
less harsh than green peppers, which are unripe. The wine and herbs give this
recipe a Mediterranean flair, but it really wasn’t far from what was prepared
long ago in my Mom’s New England kitchen! We served it with Israeli
couscous and a salad of endive and radicchio. A fruity Zinfandel or Pinot Noir
would go well, but we had a glass of dry Riesling which really worked.
*In New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont farms are selling fresh pork raised
locally. This pork has more flavor and is not artificially lean as is industrial
pork. I find that local pork, even if frozen, is more tender and rich than what
comes from the supermarket. Your state’s department of agriculture can
supply a list of local growers.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice president of
the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president of the NH Farm to
Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton (NH) Farmers' Market.
Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows certified organic herbs, greens and
berries at Weather Hill Farm in Sanbornton, NH.
By Charlie Burke
Click here for printer-friendly version of this recipe
The first dish that I ever cooked was pork chops simmered in an electric skillet
with sliced onion, green pepper and canned tomatoes. I was eleven or twelve,
and on occasions when my folks would be late getting home for dinner I
would sometimes find a note telling me that the chops were in the refrigerator
and to please have them cooked by dinner time.
I don’t think I browned the chops, but I always sliced an onion and a green
pepper to add to a can of whole tomatoes. They were cooked, covered, over
fairly slow heat and were tender and moist with a flavorful sauce when done.
Over the years, I would add the occasional can of mushrooms (fresh were not
available in our local markets) and began adding oregano or sage, but the
basic process remained the same. When I reached high school my forays into
the kitchen ended, to be resumed when I had children of my own.
Recently, my wife, Joanne saw a recipe for “Corsican Brined Pork Chops”. The
pork was brined with herbs, dried and seared over high heat. Herbs, wine,
olives and several other ingredients were added, and the dish was finished in
ten minutes. I felt that the recipe was a little fussy for a weeknight and
doubted that the cooking time was long enough for thick chops. Certainly
brining the pork increases moistness, but recent reports indicate that lean
modern pork requires slow cooking over lower temperatures or it will not be
tender. The pork that I was cooking years ago was darker and marbleized with
fat, while today’s “other white meat” is bred to be much leaner.
In Italy, I’ve had pork prepared similarly to this recipe and to the way it was
done in our house, so I decided to update my old recipe. With no time to brine
the chops, simmering the meat in the cooking liquid over low heat would give
it time to become tender and to absorb flavor. I chose thick center cut chops
and also bought some boneless “country style bottom pork spare ribs” which
were darker and less dense than the loin of the chops and certain to be tender
if the chops were not.
Shallots and garlic were sautéed and a can of organic whole tomatoes were
added and reduced instead of adding them directly with all their juices. The
meat was browned over high heat and removed from the pan which was then
deglazed with dry white wine and a cup of home made chicken stock. Having
done this well ahead, final preparation requires little attention and can be held
until dinner time.
Two portions:
2 1 ½ inch thick center cut pork chops, *locally raised, if available (12-14
ounces of boneless bottom pork spare ribs may be substituted).
28 ounces home canned tomatoes or best quality commercial tomatoes (I use
Muir Glenn)
2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for the sauce and for browning
¾ cup dry white wine
¾ cup good quality chicken stock
1 Bell pepper, preferably red or yellow, in ¼ inch slices
2 sprigs of fresh sage, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
2 sprigs fresh marjoram, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried (oregano or herbes de
Provence may be substituted for either the sage or marjoram)
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon of olive oil.
Sauté the shallots and garlic until softened (3-4 minutes). Add the tomatoes,
mashing them to release juice. Turn the heat to medium-high, add salt and
pepper to taste and boil until juices are no longer runny and tomatoes have
thickened (10-15 minutes).
While the sauce is cooking, heat a second sauté pan over medium-high heat
and film the bottom with olive oil. Generously season the pork on both sides
with salt and pepper and place into the pan. Cook the chops until golden
brown on both sides. If the meat sticks to the pan, leave it until it “releases”, by
which time it should be browned.
Remove the chops from the pan and pour off the fat. Over medium-high heat,
deglaze the pan, adding the wine first and then the stock after the alcohol has
boiled off.
Reduce the heat to low, add the meat, 1 ½ cups of tomato sauce, the pepper
and the herbs. Cover and simmer over very low heat until the meat feels
tender when probed with a thin, sharp knife (approximately 30 minutes). Taste
the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately. If it is
done ahead, it can be cooled and refrigerated or left out for up to 2 hours.
Reheat over a low flame.
The chops were quite tender at thirty minutes, but I must confess that the spare
ribs were more so. I’ve also used these spare ribs sliced into thin strips and stir
fried and found them to be more moist and tender than other cuts. The sauce
was rich, and the peppers add a pleasant accent. Red and yellow peppers are
less harsh than green peppers, which are unripe. The wine and herbs give this
recipe a Mediterranean flair, but it really wasn’t far from what was prepared
long ago in my Mom’s New England kitchen! We served it with Israeli
couscous and a salad of endive and radicchio. A fruity Zinfandel or Pinot Noir
would go well, but we had a glass of dry Riesling which really worked.
*In New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont farms are selling fresh pork raised
locally. This pork has more flavor and is not artificially lean as is industrial
pork. I find that local pork, even if frozen, is more tender and rich than what
comes from the supermarket. Your state’s department of agriculture can
supply a list of local growers.
About the author:
An organic farmer and avid cook, writer Charlie Burke is the vice president of
the New Hampshire Farmer'sMarket Association, president of the NH Farm to
Restaurant Connection and helps run the Sanbornton (NH) Farmers' Market.
Along with his wife, Joanne, Charlie grows certified organic herbs, greens and
berries at Weather Hill Farm in Sanbornton, NH.
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