Go into most NYC Italian Restaurants and under
the meat selections, chances are you will find a dish made of Pork Chops sauteed or oven baked with any combo of sweet
peppers, hot cherry or sweet cherry peppers preserved in vinegar, garlic, wine, salt, pepper, and olive oil. This recipe is
another one which came over from the Old Country and morphed into a classic dish made by Italian-Americans.  Pork
Chops with Vinegared Peppers is a tasty and satisfyling blend of Southern Italian flavors with lots of heat or just a subtle
heat.  The two constants are the Pork Chop on the bone, and the use of the vinegar poured right out of the jar of vinegar
peppers.  For those not in the NY/NJ area, a vinegar pepper is simply a pickled hot or sweet pepper.  Most Italian stores
or big supermarket chains carry some brand of them. 

     One word of caution though, the peppers must be in a solution of vinegar, not acetic acid.  Some of the cheaper
brands will pickle the peppers in a water and acetic acid solution which is vile and too strong.  The sublety of the dish
is achieved by using the jar juice and some wine, an essential ingredient in this dish, or you are just making Pork
Chops with peppers.  Not all jarred peppers are in vinegar, many times it is just water and salt..and many times it is
roasted peppers in the jar.  Let's recap...Hot or Sweet Cherry Peppers in a jar of Vinegar and other spices is what
you need to buy for this dish. 
   This is the jar I used, the Cento brand, the label
says HOT CHERRY PEPPERS and vinegar is the main ingredient in the jar juice.    For those of you who are familiar
with the Jersey Shore or even some North Jersey restaurants, this dish has morphed into the popular Chicken Murphy
chicken, potatoes, sweet peppers and hot vinegar peppers..but be authentic with this recipe, stick with the pork. 
Another tip, don't use the big thick double cut pork chops that are served in most places today. This dish started with
the thin lesser cuts of pork chop.  And tiny is definitely tastier in this instance..the thin cut chops get brined, then
sauteed in the pepper and garlic flavored oil, finished off in the pepper and vinegar mixture and then served..  A delicious
dish...
Some old fashioned standouts of this dish were served to me at daNico's in Little Italy, NYC.  They call theirs Pork Chops
Calabrese, meaning in the style of Calabria, and it is oven baked.  The old Monte's Venetian Room in Carroll Gardens,
Brooklyn served an outstanding version  also.





l to r: the dining room in the old Monte's Venetian Room, Brooklyn; DaNico on Mulberry St., Little Italy, NYC

Why the fuss over a pork and pepper dish?  Because this dish, with only a few ingredients packs the most
unbelievable flavor.  A star amongst the panopaly of Italian-American recipes.    Let's start cooking this
amazing dish.  For 4 people, use 6 thin cut pork chops, about 3/8 of an inch thick.  Rinse under cold water
and pat dry with paper towels.  Whisk 1/8 cup good Red Wine Vinegar and 2 tbs. of Red wine together.
Smash a clove of garlic, add 1 tsp. of Olive oil and a pinch of salt., 1/2 tsp. sugar.
  Add the chop and let them marinate for 2 hours.
Seed and slice into rings 4 fresh Italian Frying peppers, in season right now..They are also known as
cubanelles.  Bell peppers DO NOT have the same flavor or texture for this dish.  No substitutions please or
I will have to revoke your blog reading priveleges...! Cut into quarters 3 hot cherry peppers from the jar.
Saute' them on medium heat until they caramelize and are soft.  Then add 2 sliced garlic cloves.  Let this
saute' until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.





Now remove the chops from the marinade and pat dry again with paper towels.  Add a little more olive oil to the pan
and on medium heat, sear the chops and let them stay on each side for 6 minutes.  When the second side is
nice and brown, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the juice from the Vinegar peppers.  Let this sizzle away and reduce
for 5 minutes.  Then add the reserved pepper mixture and the marinade.  Let this simmer for 10 minutes.  Most of
the liquid will evaporate  and you will be left with spicy, seasoned, and tart flavored pepper and pork dish.  Check
for seasonings.  Notice I haven't been telling you to salt here and there, the jarred liquid contains quite a bit of
salt so you will have to taste this and determine if you want any more in there.
Serve this dish with crisp seasoned potatoes, or just some good bread and a side suggestion would be a
Insalata Caprese, that wonderful platter of summer...fresh mozzarella (if you can't get the fresh, don't...packaged
dry mozzarella does not work in this), fresh basil, and that glory of summer, the scarlet red ripe sliced tomato.  A
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is all you need on this...put that Balsamic away..
    A properly made Caprese Salad (meaning in the style
of the Island of Capri) has an aroma that can be detected from across the table...just perfect

   From the first picture in this blogpost, you can see
how the reduced and slow cooked finished product should look...delicious...Bring home to your kitchen a favorite from
those old Italian restaurants I remember so well...

A little AFOODOBSESSION news here, I was chosen as a winner in a little contest ran by Carolyn Jung in her blog,
FOOD GAL.  Carolyn was offering to the winners a sampling of Australian Olive Oils, very enticing, ya think??  So
I entered my little note on what my best Australian memory was...check it out in her blog:
http://www.foodgal.com/2010/07/mystery-sweets-and-winners-of-the-olive-oil-contes/#more-12863

Nice excitement for me today!  Thanks Carolyn!!  Her blog is an elegant and entertaining account of all things
foodie.