Having blanched, diced and frozen a case of Roma tomatoes this fall combined with a Hutterite friend that keeps me well-supplied with fresh chops meant that at some point, the two foods just had to meet in a recipe. Here, typically Italian flavours meet with a nice dose of heat from the crushed chilies. Of course, you can always dial the spice up or down by changing the amount of chilies. Just remember that as the tomato mixture simmers and reduces, the flavours (including the heat) become more intense.
Time-saving tip: Chop the three herbs together rather than individually to keep from doing the same work three times.
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound bone-in pork chops ¾ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 large yellow onion – halved and thinly sliced 2 cups diced tomato with juice 2 teaspoons fresh basil – finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh oregano – finely chopped 2 teaspoons flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped ½ teaspoon crushed red chiliesPreparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.
Season both sides of the pork chops with ½ teaspoon of the salt and the pepper then place them in the pan. Cook for three minutes, then turn over and cook for another three minutes. Remove the chops from the pan and tent with foil to stay warm.
Place the onion in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients including the ¼ teaspoon of salt and simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally for twelve minutes.
Return the pork chops to the pan to warm for a minute or two, then plate them topped with the tomato/onion mixture.