These pork chops with vinegar and sweet peppers shows exactly how simple and inspired one-skillet cooking can be. Main and side dish with very little effort or cleanup.–Renee Schettler
Pork Chops with Vinegar and Sweet Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup table salt, 1 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 3/4 cup Morton kosher salt
- Four (7-to 9-ounce) bone-in pork rib chops, each 3/4 to 1 inch (18 to 24 mm) thick
- 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 (6-mm) strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide (6 mm) strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 anchovy fillets, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 sprig rosemary, about 5 inches (13 cm) long
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, plus optional 2 tablespoons to finish sauce
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Salt
Instructions
- In a large container, dissolve the sugar and salt in 2 quarts water. Add the pork chops and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove the chops from the brine and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Season with 3/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
- Heat the oil in an ovensafe, 12-inch, nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat until the oil almost begins to smoke. Tilt the skillet to coat the skillet with the oil.
- Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook, using a spoon or spatula to occasionally press down on the center of the chops to aid in browning, until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Using tongs, flip the chops and brown lightly on the second side, about 1 minute. Transfer the chops to a large plate.
- Set the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the sweet peppers, anchovies, and rosemary. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers just begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the water and 1/2 cup vinegar and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Take he skillet off the heat and discard the rosemary.
- Return the pork chops, browner-side up, to the skillet; nestle the chops in the sweet peppers, but do not cover the chops with the peppers. Add any accumulated juices to the skillet; set the skillet in the oven and cook until the center of the pork chops registers 135°F to 140°F (57°C to 60°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 8 to 12 minutes (begin checking the temperature after 6 minutes).
- Using potholders, carefully remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be very hot) and cover the skillet with a lid or foil; let stand until the center of the chops registers 145 to 150 °F (65°C) on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer the pork chops to a platter or individual plates. Swirl the butter into the sauce and the sweet peppers in the skillet; taste and stir in the optional 2 tablespoons vinegar, if desired, and the parsley. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, then pour or spoon the sauce and peppers over the chops. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This is one of those recipes that I would keep as a basic staple. The brining really did make the pork chop flavorful and juicy, and I found that if I brined the meat first, by the time everything else was chopped and prepped, the 30 minutes were nearly up.
The amount of sauce and peppers was perfect and I didn’t need to add additional vinegar at the end. I’ll definitely be making this one again.
This was enjoyable to make and very tasty. I opted for center-cut chops that were on the larger side of 1 inch in thickness.
I used the brine, rather than employ enhanced pork, and also used Morton kosher salt. The tastes of the anchovy fillets, vinegar, and fresh rosemary accented the dish nicely. I removed the chops from the oven at exactly 145°F, since I prefer some pinkness in pork dishes, and, with the thicker type chops, this was easily achieved.
This was easy and delicious. I used boneless chops because I order a beef/pork box from Butcher Box and I had them in the freezer. They worked well. I knew I’d love the sweet and savory taste but was not positive my husband would. He raved about them. I served them with buttered noodles and have two chops left to go with mashed potatoes later in the week.
Carlin, that’s great to hear. And I could dive right into that pot!
Could a bit of fish sauce be used instead of anchovies? I don’t see why not. I always have fish sauce on hand.
Hi Bkhuna, you could certainly use fish sauce. The usually ratio is 1/2 teaspoon as a substitute for one anchovy fillet.
The instructions were very clear and easy to follow, as you would expect from America’s Test Kitchen. I really liked the dish and so did my family. The pork chops were very moist because of the brining, and the sauce worked extremely well. The vinegar added a distinct brightness to the finished dish.
Swell, Chris!