Tuscan Braised Pork Chops

"An aromatic sofrito flavors the pork chops. The sofrito then becomes the base for a tasty pasta sauce. The chops are served with pasta, the sauce and a robust green vegetable such as spinach or escarole. Correction: Soffrito is the correct spelling for this Italian mixture of aromatic vegetables, which is more often know by the French name, mirepoix. Sofrito is a slightly different Caribbean-Spanish mixture used for similar purposes."
 
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Ready In:
1hr 20mins
Ingredients:
13
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Wipe the chops with a damp paper towel and dry them.
  • Brown the chops in 1/4 cup of the oil at medium/high heat in a large skillet.
  • Remove the chops and set aside.
  • Add the vegetables and the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to the pan.
  • Caramelize the vegetables at medium heat (this is the sofrito).
  • Return the chops to the pan and spoon some of the sofrito over them.
  • Add the seasonings and wine.
  • Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
  • Add a little water from time to time to prevent the pan from boiling dry.
  • Add the tomato sauce.
  • Cook covered 10 more minutes.
  • Remove the chops and strain the sauce.
  • Drizzle some sauce over the chops.
  • Dress pasta of your choice with the remaining sauce.

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Reviews

  1. Can't say I've ever made a sofrito before. What a great technique. These are flavor-packed and moist pork chops but watch the amount of red pepper. I followed the ingredients list and it was borderline too hot for me. I used a bit of leftover diced tomatoes in juice to prevent the pan from simmering dry. We really enjoyed the sauce on whole wheat pasta. I couldn't bear to waste all those tasty strained vegetables so I used them the next night, pureed and thinned with turkey broth, as the base for a vegetable chili. Perfect.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Gardening, fishing, clamming and foraging for wild foods are some interests which connect to my interest in cooking. I like cooking things I have grown, caught or collected. Currently I am searching for tasty heirloom vegetable varieties for my garden. I also like to prepare foods by old-time processes such as smoking, fermenting and curing -- kraut, pickles, cheese, sausage, those sorts of things.
 
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