Pork and Fire Roasted Tomatoes
I've been working on this recipe for a while now and I think I have perfected it. I would put this recipe up against just about any pork dish out there. If you use the pasta, this is a nice change from all the rest of the pasta dishes we all make regularly.
I've been working on this recipe for a while now and I think I have perfected it. I would put this recipe up against just about any pork dish out there. If you use the pasta, this is a nice change from all the rest of the pasta dishes we all make regularly.
- 1/2 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
- sour cream (optional)
- 4 ea pork chops the cheap ones
- 1 12 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 tsp chicken soup base not bullion, too salty
- 2 strips bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 tsp garlic mashed
- 1/2 tsp thyme dried and crushed
- 1 tsp oregano dried and crushed
- 1 tbsp vinegar white
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh or bottled
- 2 ea scallions chopped only the green part (optional)
- 2 servings spaghetti regular not angel hair. (optional)
- Carbohydrate 0.66361604212257 g
- Cholesterol 1.225 mg
- Fat 0.4984166666643 g
- Fiber 0.028041666146673 g
- Protein 0.311610416663488 g
- Saturated Fat 0.305505833332647 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (41g)
- Sodium 5.69939583064917 mg
- Sugar 0.635574375975897 g
- Trans Fat 0.029190833333215 g
- Calories 9 calories
Step-by-step
- Use the cheap pork chops or pork steaks. They are tougher and since they will be cooked for a while it won't matter and you can get a lot of them for very little money.
- Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and cook off in an oven at 350 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F.
- Remove the meat from the pork chops and Cut into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan combine the undrained tomatoes, chicken soup base, water, bacon, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Heat through. Taste the sauce and see if it needs salt or pepper. Add the pork and simmer covered for at least 1/2 hour. I have let this simmer for over an hour with no problems.
- Ten minutes before serving add vinegar and lemon juice and let simmer.
- Optional Spaghetti
- Cook the pasta just a little al dente. I use regular spaghetti but just about any long pasta would work.
- Drain spaghetti and plate 1/2 on each. Top with pork mixture and sprinkle with scallions and top with a dollop of sour cream.
- I tried this with grated Asiago cheese on top but I think it took away from the flavor but that is up to you.
Swapping standard lean loins for bone-in shoulder cuts changes the structural integrity of the entire dish. Lean cuts dry out under sustained heat, whereas cuts with higher connective tissue render gelatin during the simmer. This gelatin binds the sauce, giving it body without heavy starches. Roast the meat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal probe reads 150 degrees Fahrenheit before dicing. That initial thermal phase renders excess fat and sets the proteins. Simmering the cubed pork in the tomato liquid for at least thirty minutes allows the muscle fibers to relax fully and absorb the aromatics.
Acid Timing and Texture Balance
Adding raw acid too early breaks down proteins prematurely and yields a mushy mouthfeel. Stirring the white vinegar and lemon juice into the pan only ten minutes before serving preserves a bright, clean sharpness against the rich pork. Cook the spaghetti strictly al dente so the strands retain resistance against the heavy sauce.
- If the sauce tastes too thin, simmer uncovered for ten minutes to evaporate excess water.
- If the meat turns stringy, the initial oven temperature exceeded 375 degrees Fahrenheit and seized the muscle fibers.
- If the pasta absorbs too much liquid, toss the drained noodles with one teaspoon of neutral oil before plating.
