Pork Chops Provencal Food

PORK CHOPS PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet (12 or 15 inches) and brown chops on both sides over moderate heat, about 15 minutes. Remove chops. If necessary, prepare chops in 2 batches.
• Add mushrooms to skillet and saute until lightly browned. Add wine and stir to loosen all brown bits from bottom. Empty mushrooms and wine into a bowl and mix with tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley and reduced chicken stock.
• Return all chops to skillet (making 2 layers, if necessary) and pour mixture in bowl over them. Season very lightly with salt and pepper, cover skillet securely and cook over very low heat about 2 hours, or until meat is almost but not quite falling off the bone.
• Remove chops to serving platter and keep warm. Raise heat under skillet and boil contents hard, stirring constantly, until the mixture has a viscous, saucelike consistency. Pour over chops and serve.

CAST-IRON SKILLET PROVENCAL PORK CHOPS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Drain the potatoes. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to become tender and are just beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper. Move the potatoes to the far edge of the pan, leaving a space to brown the pork chops. Add the pork chops to the pan and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. As the pork chops cook, give the potatoes an occasional stir so they continue to brown evenly. Place the pork chops on top of the potatoes, shingling them to leave as much room in the pan as possible. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the bare area of the pan. Add the olives, capers, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the tomatoes and wine and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the chicken broth. Put the pork chops in the sauce and carefully nestle the potatoes around them. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more until the pork chops register 145 degrees F in the center on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the pork chops from the sauce and transfer to shallow bowls or a serving platter. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. If most of the liquid in the pan evaporates while you are cooking the pork, stir in tablespoons of water at a time to get it back to a saucy consistency. If the sauce is a little thin and weak, after you take the chops out, turn the heat up and cook 1 to 2 minutes more to thicken and concentrate the flavors. Stir the parsley into the sauce, remove the thyme sprigs, spoon the sauce over the chops and serve.