What's For Dinner Wednesay: Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola

This past Wednesday we were at Jazzin' at the Shedd and were out quite a bit later than usual.  Though they were serving food there, Alex and I just grabbed some quick popcorn so that we could see everything before they closed.  This proved to not be the wisest choice-- after sipping wine all over the Shedd, we returned a little tipsy and a lot hungry.  With that in mind, dinner needed to be something that was quick and easy to make.  And filling.

Even though he's not a huge fan of pork chops, this recipe is one of Alex's favorites-- whenever he refers to the "good pork chops" I know that he means Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola, a fantastic Italian-style preparation for pork chops.  It's also nice to know that one of his favorite recipes is also one that is pretty low maintenance to prepare.  It's a one skillet dinner that's low in fat, includes cheap ingredients (win!), and packs a lot of flavor.  I'm thinking it would probably also work great for chicken breasts too.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 boneless pork chops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, in juice
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 tsp. herbes de Provence
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook until they are brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and tent with foil to keep them warm.

Add the onion to the same skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, herbes de Provence, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend and the juices thicken slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and more red pepper flakes. Return the pork chops and any accumulated juices from the plate to the skillet and turn the pork chops to coat with the sauce.


Based on original recipe by Giada De Laurentiis via FoodTV.com.