Pork Chops in Lemon-Caper Sauce

I’m posting this excellent recipe in honor of Juneteenth, the celebration of the liberation of those enslaved in the United States. It’s from Toni Tipton-Martins cook book “Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” which came out last year. Thick bone-in chops are browned and set aside; then a luscious sauce made in the same pan of butter, shallots, garlic, wine and chicken stock. Stir in capers, parsley and lemon and you’ve got a truly delicious meal. Make sure you’ve got something to soak up the rich sauce!

4 bone-in pork chops (about 8 ounces each)

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1/2 dried thyme leaves ( I used fresh)

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 very small shallot, minced (about 1 Tbs.)

2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tsp.)

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock, homemade or low sodium if store-bought

2 Tbs. capers, drained

2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest, plus 2 Tbs. juice

Hot sauce (optional)

Dry the chops with paper towels, and season aggressively with salt, pepper and the thyme. Swirl the olive oil into a large skillet, and heat over medium until the oil begins to shimmer. Add chops, and cook until well browned on each side and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate, and cover to keep warm.

Drain the fat from the pan, then melt 2 Tbs. of butter in it over medium heat until sizzling. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until the aromatics soften, reducing the heat if necessary, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock, raise heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by half, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the capers, parsley, lemon zest and juice and hot sauce to taste (if you’re using it) and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 Tbs. of butter until its melted and the sauce looks smooth. Nestle the pork chops into the sauce, and allow them to warm up for a couple of minutes, then serve, pouring the sauce over each pork chop to taste. Garnish with more fresh parsley.

Note: I made this ahead and reheated gently at dinner time in a covered pan. I’m sure pounded chicken breasts would substitute well for the pork chops.