Pork Chops A La Veracruzana Recipes

VERACRUZ PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil to medium high heat and saute chops, about three minutes per side. Remove to plate and keep warm.
• Add onions to same pan and cook, about three minutes. Add peppers and celery and cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent and fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and their juice and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer.
• Cover pork chops in tomato mixture, turning to coat all sides.
• Simmer on medium low heat until pork chops are done, (150 degrees internal temperature) about 8 minutes.
• Serve with brown rice.

PORK CHOPS IN VERACRUZ SAUCE

Steps:

• Use a paper towel to pat pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until butter is melted and oil is shimmering. Carefully add pork chops and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add onion slices to the same skillet. Saute, stirring frequently, until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, jalapeno strips, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Nestle chops into the vegetable mixture and cover. Reduce heat and simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes. Place chops on a serving plate and increase heat to medium-high. Discard bay leaves and herb sprigs. Cook until liquid is reduced and thickened, about 3 minutes.
• Spoon vegetables and sauce over chops. Garnish with cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over all. Serve warm.

PORK CHOPS A LA VERACRUZANA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick sautee pan or skillet over medium heat. Place the pork chops in the pan in a single layer. Fry, turning once, until each side of the chops is slightly browned. (Note: if pork chops have a bit of nice fat on the edges, you won't need as much oil, and maybe none at all.)
• Remove the chops from the pan and keep warm. Add the sliced onion and green pepper to the pan and sautee, stirring often, until the onion has become translucent, but not brown.
• Return the chops to the pan. Add the tomatoes, olives, chopped jalapeño, jalapeño liquid, garlic, and oregano. Cover the pan with a lid at an angle so that plenty of steam can evaporate. Let everything cook gently, stirring once in a while, for about 10 minutes.
• Add salt or bouillon powder/paste (vegetable or chicken work well) to taste and cook for 5 more minutes, until all the ingredients are well-cooked.
• Serve your flavorful Pork Chops a la Veracruzana with rice or cooked potatoes, if desired.