Pork Chop Cacciatore

End of school year. Jasmine graduates from the performing arts magnet. The ceremony: she sang. Not as the graduate — as the performer. The principal asked her to sing at her own graduation and she chose "Amazing Grace" because of course she did, because the song is hers now, because the song has traveled from Mama's bedside to a graduation stage and the journey of the song is the journey of the girl and the girl is a woman and the woman is singing.

Curtis was in the front row. Wheelchair. One good hand gripping the armrest. The hand was the crying. Derek was beside him. Marcus came from Morehouse. Isaiah was there. Zoe was there. Darnell drove from Clarksville. The whole family. For Jasmine. For the song. For the girl who sang "Halo" at nine and is now eighteen and graduating and going to Howard and the voice has gotten bigger every year and the years are the practice and the practice is the line.

Made the graduation feast. Fifty people again. Same as Marcus's. The full menu. The census in food. Every dish a person. Every flavor a story. Fried chicken and ribs and mac and cheese and cornbread and greens and cobbler and the whole beautiful ridiculous feast that says: we are here. All of us. At the table. Eating what love made. Going everywhere. Coming home.

Every year I make a feast like this, I think about how food is the truest kind of counting — you cook for exactly as many people as you love, and the pot tells no lies. After watching Jasmine walk that stage and hearing her voice fill that auditorium the way it did, I needed something slow and deep and generous on the table, something that had been tended to, the way she has been tended to. Pork chop cacciatore is that dish for me — it takes its time, it layers its flavors, and when you lift the lid, the whole room turns toward it. That’s exactly what Jasmine does.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick (roughly 3 lbs total)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine (or low-sodium chicken broth)
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
Sear the pork. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, sear the pork chops for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the soffritto. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and both bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Deglaze. Pour in the red wine (or broth) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
Build the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and season with salt to taste.
Braise the pork. Nestle the seared pork chops back into the pan, spooning some sauce over the top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 35–40 minutes, turning the chops once halfway through, until the pork is fully cooked through and tender.
Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over polenta, egg noodles, or alongside crusty bread to catch every bit of the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Pork Chop Cacciatore — Every Dish a Person, Every Flavor a Story