Life's Ambrosia

Braised Pork Chops with Kale and Tomatoes

I made these last night for dinner and could not wait to share them with you today. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to make when I got into the kitchen, but I am very happy with what we ended up with. After all, how can you go wrong with tender pork chops braised with tomatoes, kale and briny capers? The answer: You can’t.

For a long time I would always shy away from using bone-in pork chops. I have no idea why. Maybe I thought it was easier to cook and eat without having to worry about the bone. However, for a dish like this, where the cooking time is a bit longer, these bone-in pork chops work very well. The reason is they don’t dry out the way a boneless pork chop would. Not to mention, cooking meat on the bone adds a bit more flavor too.

I served this on a bed of nutty quinoa which I happen to love. If you don’t have any this would also be delicious over rice.

Braised Pork Chops with Kale and Tomatoes Recipe

Serves 4 Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 25 min

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 bone-in pork chops
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 tablespoons non-pareil capers
1 (14.5 ounces) can diced tomatoes with their juices
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown pork chops on each side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reserve pan drippings.

Add the onions, garlic and capers to the pan. Cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and kale. Cook just until the kale starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Return the pork chops to the pan. Spoon a little of the tomatoes and kale over the top. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pork chops to a serving platter. Spoon the tomato mixture over the top. Serve.