Gloria said:Grandma P's Braised Pork Chops
Note: All measurements are approximate. This is a good meal for a cold,
rainy day. The leftovers reheat well.
6-8 chops, any cut, most of fat removed
1 large onion, chopped
water
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp rosemary or to taste
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
In enough olive oil to coat the skillet, saute chopped onion until it
becomes translucent. Set aside. Add oil if needed, brown chops on both
sides, add water to come about 1/2 way up chops, return onion to pan,
sprinkle with spices. Lower heat so water barely simmers.
Simmer 2-3 hours until tender. Just before serving, mix a couple of tsp
of cornstarch with cold water to form a slurry. Add a bit at a time,
bringing back to simmer until slightly thickened.
Serve with freshly cooked hot rice, apple sauce, a veg or salad.
A few days ago, I made the America's Test Kitchen version of pork chops with
vinegar and sweet peppers, which bears a passing similarity. From
www.americastestkitchen.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=1982&iSeason=6:
Pork Chops with Vinegar and Sweet Peppers
For this recipe, we prefer rib chops, but center-cut chops, which contain a
portion of tenderloin, can be used instead. If you do not have time to brine
the chops, "enhanced" pork (pork injected with a salt, water, and sodium
phosphate solution, so stated on the package label) presents an acceptable
solution; the enhanced meat will have more moisture than unbrined natural
chops. To keep the chops from overcooking and becoming tough and dry, they
are removed from the oven when they are just shy of fully cooked; as they
sit in the hot skillet, they continue to cook with residual heat. The
vinegar stirred into the sauce at the end adds a bright, fresh flavor. We
advise, however, that you taste the sauce before you add the vinegar--you
may prefer to omit it.
Serves 4
1 cup sugar
Table salt
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops, each 3/4 to 1 inch thick and 7 to 9 ounces
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
(about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide
strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 anchovy fillets, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 5 inches long
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2
teaspoons)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar, plus optional 2 tablespoons to finish sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1. Dissolve sugar and 1/2 cup table salt in 2 quarts water in large
container; add pork chops and refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove chops from
brine; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels, season with 3/4 teaspoon
pepper, and set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil
in heavy-bottomed ovensafe 12-inch nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat
until oil begins to smoke; swirl skillet to coat with oil. Place chops in
skillet; cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes, using spoon or spatula to
press down on center of chops to aid in browning. Using tongs, flip chops
and brown lightly on second side, about 1 minute. Transfer chops to large
plate; set aside.
3. Set skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring
occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add peppers,
anchovies, and rosemary; cook, stirring frequently, until peppers just begin
to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and 1/2 cup vinegar and bring to boil,
scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; simmer
until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, discard
rosemary.
4. Return pork chops, browned side up, to skillet; nestle chops in peppers,
but do not cover chops with peppers. Add any accumulated juices to skillet;
set skillet in oven and cook until center of chops registers 135 to 140
degrees on instant-read thermometer, 8 to 12 minutes (begin checking
temperature after 6 minutes). Using potholders, carefully remove skillet
from oven (handle will be very hot) and cover skillet with lid or foil; let
stand until center of chops registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read
thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chops to platter or individual plates.
Swirl butter into sauce and peppers in skillet; stir in optional 2
tablespoons vinegar, if using, and parsley. Adjust seasonings with salt and
pepper, then pour or spoon sauce and peppers over chops. Serve immediately.
BOB'S NOTES:
1. I only cooked three pork chops.
2. Rather than the bell peppers, I used a couple Anaheim chiles and a couple
of Melinda's "super sweet peppers," which look like red Anaheims.
3. I used about a teaspoon of dried rosemary, and left it in.
4. I skipped the butter and parsley, and didn't add vinegar at the end.
The pork chops were served on soft polenta which had been jazzed up a bit
with some smoked Fontina and some Romano.
Bob
