Spaghetti Sauce with Pork Chops and Green Peppers
This recipe was handed down to my sister by her mother-in-law and then to me. I make this all the time and since it has to simmer for up to 4 hours, I make plenty and freeze it.
This recipe was handed down to my sister by her mother-in-law and then to me. I make this all the time and since it has to simmer for up to 4 hours, I make plenty and freeze it.
- Carbohydrate 11.11466 g
- Cholesterol 68.655 mg
- Fat 13.39659 g
- Fiber 2.86349998450279 g
- Protein 22.98255 g
- Saturated Fat 3.607593 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (247g)
- Sodium 184.1192 mg
- Sugar 8.25116001549721 g
- Trans Fat 1.507935 g
- Calories 253 calories
Step-by-step
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water and wine into a large saucepan and simmer on low heat, covered.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add pork chops (seasoned with salt & pepper to taste) until slightly browned and add to the sauce and continue to simmer for 3 hours, checking and stirring periodically so it doesn't stick.
- Slice the green peppers into strips (season to taste with salt and pepper) and add to the hot skillet with 2 tablesppons of olive oil and brown.
- Set aside.
- Do the same with the onions.
- Once the sauce is done simmering for 3 hours on the stove, or 6 in the crockpot, add your peppers and onions and simmer for another hour.
- If using the crock pot, double the time.
Adding raw pork chops directly to cold tomato sauce without browning them first results in grey, rubbery meat and deprives the base of essential Maillard compounds. Achieving proper depth in an extended braise requires searing the pork chops in olive oil until a golden crust forms before transferring them to the simmering tomatoes. This foundational step builds flavor compounds on the skillet floor that subsequently dissolve into the liquid.
Scaling this preparation up or down demands precise management of evaporation rates. Doubling the batch increases the surface volume of the pot, which restricts moisture reduction; maintain the lid slightly ajar if the reduction stalls past the four-hour mark. Conversely, halving the recipe accelerates concentration, requiring frequent stirring every fifteen minutes to prevent scorching the tomato paste against the bottom of the saucepan. Ensure the heat remains at a gentle bubble rather than a rolling boil to keep the pork proteins from tightening too aggressively during the multi-hour breakdown.
Substitutions alter moisture and acidity profiles significantly. Replacing the red wine with additional water reduces the overall acidity, which requires adjusting the final salt content upward to compensate for the missing brightness. Swapping green bell peppers for red varieties introduces more natural sugars, shifting the flavor balance toward sweetness during the final hour of simmering.
