Sep 14, 2011

Elegant Pork Chops

Authors Jane and Michael Stern gave us this recipe from Virginia Miller, a home cook from Iowa who bakes thick-cut pork chops in a sweet, tomatoey sauce.

Credit: A.J. Wilhelm

SERVES 4

INSTRUCTIONS

4 double-cut, bone-in pork chops

Kosher salt and freshly ground  black pepper, to taste

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups soy sauce

1 tbsp. molasses

1 3⁄4 cups ketchup

1 1⁄2 cups chili sauce, such as Heinz

2 tbsp. French dressing

1 tbsp. dry mustard

INGREDIENTS

1. Put pork chops into a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, soy sauce, molasses, and 1 cup water and pour over meat. Cover with plastic wrap and let pork chops marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

2. Heat oven to 375°. Drain pork chops and transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish. Whisk together remaining brown sugar, ketchup, chili sauce, French dressing, mustard, and 1⁄3 cup water in a small bowl. Pour sauce over pork chops and bake, turning pork chops and basting with sauce occasionally, until pork chops are tender and sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes. Let pork chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.  

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #132

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Ratings & Reviews (9)

by COCOJO761 on 2010-10-05

I might rate this higher but I made an error in the sauce. I added the molasses to the sauce instead of the marinade. The result was a strong tasting sauce, ok, but not my favorite. My husband liked it. So I don't know if I ruined the sauce with my mistake..I'll have to make it again.
The one thing I will say is there is a ton of sauce. I'd half the amounts if I make it again.

by JOELCAL on 2010-10-08

Having been a long-time enthusiast of Saveur & having enjoyed many articles covering regional cooking around the country & world, I had to stop & wonder about this dish. I then knew I had to make it to see if my 45 years of cooking had failed me. After all, I've trusted Saveur so many times, why not now? Well, it turned out as predicted. If the idea of a pork chop smothered in ketchup & sugar tickles your palate, you'll adore this. It will surely mesmerize the taste buds of every 9-year old. Honestly, Saveur, how can you name this ketchup-sauce �discovery� Elegant Pork Chops? If this dish is elegant, then Sweet and Sour Pork is the most magnificent Chinese discovery we could ever hope for.

by chefcharlielilly on 2010-10-12

I agree with Joelcal. I have loved and trusted Saveur from it's beginning, but this recipe is a joke. While I love Saveur articles and information, the recipes can be hit-and-miss. This recipe is terrible, pedestrian, and insulting to even the most inexperienced cook. I made it, it tastes like something an aunt who has no idea how to cook might come up with in a moment of creativity/insanity. It tastes like Joelcal describes: a pork chop smothered in ketchup and sugar. How this junk made it onto the cover of Saveur really makes me wonder what is going on with the magazine these days.

by GEOFFMRTN on 2010-10-15

I knew reading this recipe I wouldn't like it but I made it anyway. That was my fault. I am kind of surprised that this would make the cover of the Magazine. This is really a kids meal.

by SOPHIE on 2010-10-19

The ingredients were readily available so I gave this recipe a try. I marinated the pork chops on Sunday night, planned to bake them on Monday, but wasn't able to get to the baking until Wed. night. I should have taken the meat out of the marinade on Monday, but totally forgot, so when I did bake them 3 nights later, the chops were a little too salty from the soy sauce marinade. On the plus side, the saltiness created a brine that really tenderized the chops. The ketchup-y sauce was not complex and very kid-friendly. Way, way too much sauce so I had a lot of leftover sauce, which I used 3 nights later to bake some chicken thighs.

by LITTLELOU on 2010-11-06

Oh boo hoo with these people! I am from Penn Dutch country and this is such good comfort food! I agree, lotsa sauce, but hey whatever, its salty and sweet and amazing! I used Sambal to spice it up! My husband, who hates porkchops will eat every bite and my kids cant get enough. Is it haute cuisine....not a chance! Its down home midwestern comfort food! Enjoy!

by NJP15 on 2010-12-12

You need to stop being such snobs. The beauty of Saveur has always been the willingness and desire to feature all types of food, from all different places. The best way to learn about other cultures is to see what the local people are cooking. This one just happens to be one of our locals. A great food magazine is not one that just features haute cuisine from 5 star restaurants. And Saveur has done a great job of opening up the world of food to everyone. Good food is not just for snobs. And not everyone can afford fancy expensive ingredients. And Saveur understands that.

by ANG on 2011-01-11

I agree "Elegant Pork Chops" was not a good choice to name this recipe, it was very good. I would have named it "Down Home Country Chops." The only thing I did differently was substitute maple syrup for molasses, low sodium soy sauce for soy sauce and yellow mustard for dry mustard. Lighten up folks, not everything is going to be gourmet. I would put this in the BBQ section myself, sweet and savory comfort food. This was dish made from the simple ingredients that people living on a farm would have in their cabinets. Not everyone has the pleasure of using all the special spices or a store that carries such. Thank you Saveur for sharing an old time country recipe that anyone could make.

by ro37ss on 2012-03-27

Sorry, but I can even give this 1 star. Good way to ruin a thick Pork Chop.

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