The cacciatore sauce you usually associate with chicken is delicious when paired with a juicy pork chop. Red pepper, tomatoes, wine and herbs combine to make a tasty stew that the chops are nestled into to complete their cooking. This was in the latest Bon Apetit magazine, and since it’s been awhile since I found a recipe there that called to me I was happy to try it.
I had one extra large pork chop instead of two, so let it simmer away much longer than the recommended 6 to 8 minutes. The recipe suggested to serve crusty bread alongside to soak up the tangy sauce (good idea!) but there was so much more sauce than needed that I cooked some linguini and tossed them together. Rave review from my pork chop loving husband!
2 5-6 oz. bone-in pork rib chops
1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton’s kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 Tbs. double-concentrated tomato paste
3/4 cup red wine
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Tbs. drained capers
2 sprigs oregano, plus leaves
Crusty bread for serving
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper; sprinkle all over with dried oregano. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high. Cook pork chops, undisturbed, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to pan. Cook bell pepper, onion, and garlic, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until onion is softened and golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are coated and paste is darkened slightly, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently until wine is reduced by a little more than half, about 5 minutes.
Mix in diced tomatoes, capers, 2 oregano sprigs, and remaining 1 1/2 Diamond Crystal or 1 Tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is slightly thickened, 18-22 minutes. Nestle pork chops into sauce and add any juices that have collected on plate. Spoon a bit of sauce over pork and simmer gently until meat is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145 degrees; 6-8 minutes.
Divide chops and sauce between plates. (Cut meat from bones and thickly slice if dividing among 4.) Top with oregano and serve with bread. Serves 2 to 4.
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