One-Pot Wonders

Pork Chops and Vinegar Peppers

July 11, 2011
4.3
6 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

One thing I love more than anything about Italian cooking, in particular Southern Italian cooking is the simplicity. So many dishes I learned growing up only contain a few ingredients but have big flavor. One of my favorites is Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers; I am pretty sure I have been eating this dish since I got teeth. This dish has few ingredients, is tasty, and smells absolutely divine. It’s so easy even my in-laws in Wyoming make it because its simply and it contains ingredients they have no problem finding.

Some people do ask what vinegar peppers are and where to find them. They are sweet or hot cherry peppers in vinegar. (Be sure to get them packed in vinegar and not salt and water). Here in Colorado I use the Mezzetta brand. This year I am going to plant a bunch of cherry peppers and can them myself. —mangiadenver

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 4 Bone-In Pork Chops (medium thickness)
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Jar Sweet or Hot Vinegar Peppers
  • 1/2 cup White Wine
  • 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
Directions
  1. First smash the garlic and de-seed and slice the peppers, I like to leave them pretty big so I only slice them in half. Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Sauté garlic in olive oil and remove the garlic when it starts singing (set aside). By now your oil should be nice and hot so go ahead and brown the chops on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side). Remove the chops.
  2. Now throw those peppers in, here is when things start smelling really great. I like to get a nice brown crust on my peppers. Add the chops and garlic back to the pan, add the reserved vinegar, chicken broth and the white wine. Turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for about 40-45 minutes. You can stop here or remove the lid, crank up the heat and let the sauce reduce to the point that it glazes the chops, this too me makes the most concentrated, yummy flavor.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • RoCapo
    RoCapo
  • Baywife
    Baywife
  • MelloJello
    MelloJello

3 Reviews

RoCapo November 30, 2023
Absolutely the best pork chop ever. I served this on top of polenta. Wouldn’t change a thing.
 
Baywife April 3, 2013
Could you explain "vinegar peppers"? I can't find anything called that in the supermarket. There are very expensive ($10) jars of Calabrian peppers and some other, slightly less expensive, peppers that have vinegar in their content list.
 
MelloJello December 13, 2021
They are jarred green peppers or cherry peppers labelled as packed in vingear. I ususally find the pastene brand among the other jarred peppers and olives.