Pork Chop with Vinegar Peppers
This Italian-American classic apparently appeared on The Sopranos, but I first encountered it at Danny’s Mio Posto, a high-end place in Saratoga Springs, NY favored by the toffs who frequent the Race Course. Allow 1 pork chop (about 3/4 lb) per person though you’ll probably have leftovers.
Ingredients
Pork rib chops, ideally cut 1″ thick or more (don’t use thin chops)
Vinegar peppers (allow 1/2 c per serving)
Capers (optional, 1 t per person)
Garlic (2-4 peeled cloves per person)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil
Method: Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Salt and pepper the chops on both sides. Saute the garlic until tender, then move aside and add the pork chops. Sauce until crisp on each side but not cooked dry, maybe 7-10 minutes per side for a 1-inch thick chop. Remove the chops and add vinegar peppers and about 2 T per serving of their juice to the skillet. Bring to the boil, return the pork chops to the pan, cover and turn off the heat so the chops can cook a little more and absorb some of the vinegar pepper flavor. Serve immediately, spooning the peppers and pan juices over the chops.
Pork Chop and sides
At Mio Posto, pork chops were plated with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. A great combination.
