Equipment
Ingredients
Pork
- 800 g boneless pork loin chops, thick cut
- 5 g kosher salt, coarse
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Aromatics and Vegetables
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 15 g unsalted butter
- 120 ml chicken broth, low sodium
- 150 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 481 kcal
- Protein
- 51 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 862 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 163 mg
- Potassium
- 1106 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 70 mg
- Phosphorus
- 519 mg
- Zinc
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 183 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.42 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 17.2 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 242 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pat the pork chops completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remember to wash your hands and sanitize surfaces after handling raw pork.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter foams, use tongs to add the pork chops and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until a golden-brown crust forms. Remove chops from the pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onions to the same skillet and saute for 5 to 7 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
Add the cherry tomatoes and chicken broth to the skillet. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.
Stir the heavy cream into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the pork chops and any resting juices to the pan. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chops, until the sauce thickens slightly and a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 63°C/145°F.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Let the pork chops rest in the sauce for 3 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Using bone-in pork chops will yield slightly more flavor and insulation against overcooking, though they may require an extra 1 to 2 minutes of simmering.
- The fond, or brown bits left after searing the pork, is culinary gold; ensure you thoroughly scrape it up when deglazing with the broth to incorporate it into the cream sauce.
- If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, a tiny pinch of sugar can help balance the sauce and prevent the cream from curdling.
- Drying the pork thoroughly before searing is essential. Any surface moisture will create steam, preventing the beautiful, flavorful crust from forming.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat to prevent the cream from separating.
Troubleshooting
Cream sauce separated or looks curdled
Cause: The heat was too high, causing the dairy fat to separate from the water, or the cream was cold when added to hot liquid.
Fix: Remove from heat immediately and vigorously whisk in 15ml of warm water or broth. If severely split, it cannot be completely fixed but remains safe to eat.
Prevention: Use heavy cream with at least 36 percent fat, ensure it is at room temperature, and maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
Pork chops are tough and dry
Cause: The pork was overcooked during the simmering phase.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Slice thinly against the grain and toss generously in the sauce to mask dryness.
Prevention: Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature, removing the pork from heat exactly at 63°C/145°F as carryover cooking will occur during resting.
Cultural Context
Smothered meat dishes are a cornerstone of American comfort food, drawing heavy inspiration from classical European culinary techniques like pan-searing and deglazing to build a robust pan sauce. Incorporating tomatoes and cream creates a rich, rustic flavor profile often found in country-style bistros.
