Cacciatore (meaning “hunter-style”) is an Italian wine-and-tomato-based braise traditionally prepared with whatever game was caught that day. This version from Heirloom Kitchen author Anna Francese Gass uses bone-in pork chops that are cooked quickly to keep them juicy, paired with a tangy-sweet cacciatore-inspired sauce. Serve with a loaf of crusty bread to sop up all the tomatoey goodness.
What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$35 At Amazon
Instant-Read Thermometer
$35 At Thermoworks
Large Basting Spoon
$22 At Amazon
Tongs
$18 $14 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$9 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
2 - 4 Servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper; sprinkle all over with dried oregano.
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Cook pork chops, undisturbed, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to pan. Cook bell pepper, onion, and garlic, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until onion is softened and golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are coated and paste is darkened slightly, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until wine is reduced by a little more than half, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Mix in diced tomatoes, capers, 2 oregano sprigs, and remaining 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is slightly thickened, 18–22 minutes.
Step 5
Nestle pork chops into sauce and add any juices that have collected on plate. Spoon a bit of sauce over pork and simmer gently until meat is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°, 6–8 minutes.
Step 6
Divide chops and sauce between plates. (Cut meat from bones and thickly slice if dividing among 4.) Top with oregano and serve with bread.
