![Porchetta Pork Chops](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/09/03/dining/porchetta/porchetta-mediumThreeByTwo440-v3.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Braised Pork Chops With Tomatoes, Anchovies and Rosemary
![Braised Pork Chops With Tomatoes, Anchovies and Rosemary](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/04/17/dining/-Braised-Pork-Chops/-Braised-Pork-Chops-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 21½-inch-thick bone-in pork loin chops (about 1½ pounds total)
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt, more for seasoning pork
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more for seasoning pork
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3large rosemary sprigs
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2pounds plum tomatoes (preferably a mix of red and yellow), roughly chopped
- 6anchovy fillets
- Polenta, noodles or rice, for serving (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse pork chops and pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper. In a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, place 1 tablespoon oil. Sear chops until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 2
Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and sauté onion and rosemary until onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Step 3
Add tomatoes, anchovies and remaining salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down, about 8 minutes.
- Step 4
Add pork chops to skillet, spooning sauce over chops. Cover skillet and transfer to oven to bake until a thermometer inserted into center of meat reads 145 degrees, about 15 minutes. Allow chops to rest for 5 minutes in pan. If desired, serve with polenta, noodles or rice to soak up sauce.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Great recipe, but PLEASE don't cook to 145 degrees before resting, especially if using "good" (non-factory) pork. 140 is fine; 137 is even better. Otherwise, final product can be a bit dry/tough. (But I like pork a bit pinkish.) Also, if fresh tomatoes aren't top of season, good whole canned work just fine in this -- just drain off a bit of the juice from the can.
To get the umami from the anchovies without a fishy after taste, cook them with the onions and rosemary which will break them down to invisibility. Then add the tomatoes and you'll be a happier camper. yummy dish!
I used one large (28 oz.) can of san marzano tomatoes because I didn't have enough fresh, and the recipe was delicious anyway.
Made this last night with diced canned tomatoes. Took Elle's advice to cook the anchovies (with capers) with the onions and rosemary. Like others, used canned tomatoes. Added the pork chops back in and simply continued on the top of the stove for 15 minutes. Added a glug of red wine. Loved it.
I'm ok with anchovies personally but have received the same comment from others when I use them in this dish. I've started to substitute a few dashes (around 2 tsps) of a good Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce which seems to bring the "umami" with less fishiness. And no need to mash up the oily filets!
The first time I made this, I thought it needed a little something extra, so the second time around I used more garlic and added 3/4 cup of white wine after sauteing the garlic. Then, after adding the tomatoes and anchovies, I added a pinch of red pepper flakes--perfect! I also cut down the tomatoes by a half-pound because the first time, they covered the entire plate--there's a pork chop under there. right? It's a great recipe!
Try rib chops about 2-4 ribs in from the end. They will hsve a nice cap of dark meat surrounding the light -- like the dark cap on a rib roast. I have found these to be the juiciest and most succulent.
This was very good. Admit I used 4 1/2" pork chops instead of 2 thick ones but glad I did as this makes too much sauce for 2 chops and 2 people. Personally, I liked the anchovies which adds unami - didn't find it fishy tasting at all. Served it on polenta. Added the pepper flakes which was a good suggestion and might try using a 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes next time as suggested below.
We don't eat pork so I substituted bone-in chicken thighs. Browned the chicken a little longer on top of stove and cooked a little longer in oven and reduced the amount of oil. It was delicious.
When using canned tomatoes, do you discard the liquid from the can and just use the tomatoes?
Great meal. I agree with Mark (below). 145 yields pork better done than we like it. Next time I'll check for temp in min-130's after about 10 minutes. And canned tomatoes work fine.
Brining is great, but it's sometimes necessary to rebalance the rest of a dish when you brine the protein. The added salt from the brining might have contributed to the perception that there were too many anchovies.
So good. I had 3 largish chops from the butcher and used a 28-oz can of San Marzanos. I used (quel horreur) a tablespoon of Goya minced garlic and 2 sprigs of rosemary we dried from our garden last summer, and I also added a pinch of red pepper flakes. Also used 1 red onion and 1 yellow onion. I might use a tad less anchovy as I could smell it (although nobody else complained). I think this would be quite good on a bed of chard or broccoli rabe, and definitely go with polenta.
There's only one person in my house: me. I used one 1/2 lb. sirloin pork chop, eyeballed the amount of the other ingredients for one, and did it all in a smallish pan on top of the stove, first searing the chops, then adding the other ingredients in the order given, (I too used anchovy paste), then covering the pan and putting it on a low burner. I think I overcooked it a little, but it was still delicious. Served it with kale, and mashed potato. There's enough left for another day.
I'd have to give this one just s middling grade. That much anchovy was a bit too much for me. I didn't expect to taste it so prominently, thought it might just be in there for additional depth of flavor. Also, I brined the pork chops for a few hours, which helped to keep them moist.
What is the purpose of rinsing the meat before cooking? Is that not a no-no for pork like it is for chicken?
Made this on a rare evening when my spouse and I had the house to ourselves. Oh my, he thought it was amazing, and I say it is to die for! Used a couple of enormous chops from the farmers market, which can be ruined with high heat, so I followed the temp/timing instructions exactly, but slightly reduced the oven temp. Cooked the anchovies a bit before adding the tomatoes. Then sliced the meat like a couple of mini roasts, and served over polenta. 24hrs later and I’m still thinking about it.
Pretty much followed as written (for a change) and it was a big hit. The tomato sauce was delicious and the chops were moist and tender. I used 2# of heirloom tomatoes which I'll cut back on next time -- very saucy!
I used this as a braise with pork osso buco! Sauce ingredients the same but used canned tomatoes, a glug of red wine and some hot pepper flakes. In the oven 3 hours 220. IT WAS FANTASTIC!
Delicious! My only adds, 2T capers instead of anchovies, 1/4 cup white wine to deglaze, and roasted homegrown tomatoes along with chopped fresh. Held back on the salt. Nice balance of umami and tart.
Cooked the pork chop in sous vide, partially because they were still partially frozen, to 130F, then completed the rest of the recipe (plus capers). Then seared the pork chops and topped with the "sauce". Served with rice. Very tasty.
No additions or changes. Delicious cooked as is.
I used 1/2 fresh Campari tomatoes and added 1 T tomato paste after the garlic. The sauce was a beautiful red with the onions and tomato components. I used some red boat sauce instead of anchovies and the chops were cooked perfectly.
Great recipe! Very easy and the entire family ate it up! Do not let the thought of anchovies put you off. They add some umami and melt away whilst cooking: Not fishy at all! This recipe helped me use up late Summer tomatoes from the garden. Cook pork to 135-140 and let the carry-over cooking bring it to full temp (or just below, if you’re like me). I served with orzo and Melissa Clark’s marinated tomato green salad. Wonderful!
Made a variation on this tonight. Since we were low on ingredients, I did an overnight marinade with salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic powder. For the sauce I used whole, peeled SanMarzano Tomatoes from the can, rough chop and then cooked with anchovies and Calabrian chilies. Just before adding the chops back in, I added a bit of balsamic vinegar and then butter to help with the basting. Pulled them at 138°. Served the chops over polenta, topped with the tomatoes. So good.
Turned out great. Used boneless chops instead. Pulled out of the oven at 140, after 5 minutes it came to 145. Perfectly juicy and tender. Will definitely make again.
Made this exactly as written except: I had 4 chops. I doubled the sauce ingredients and then realized I only had 1lb can of crushed tomatoes. Whoops! Used just that and while I’ll do a little less oven time on the chops at the end next time, this was so delicious I can’t wait to make it again. Everyone loved it.
Sous vide 1-1/2” chops to 130. Sear then add sauce finish in oven. Serve with polenta and wilted greens.
Also, used drained canned whole peeled tomatoes. Very good!
Chris loved this. Used 1 14 oz can of cherry tomatoes otherwise all same
This sauce was absolutely fabulous. My only disappointment is with the thick cut of pork loin I used. Was it not good enough quality (Whole Foods purchase)? Or was it too thick? The meat was cooked about right, not too dry, but just meh. I might experiment again with another thinner cut. Meanwhile, the leftover sauce is going to go on some noodles. So good!
Advertisement