Pork Chops a la Veracruzana

Robin: Veracruz port, on Mexico’s gulf coast, was for many decades the main hub through which people and goods passed on their way between the land of the Aztecs and other continents. It didn’t take long for resourceful cooks to adapt techniques and ingredients native to Mexico with those of Europe, Africa, and even the Middle East to create the interesting and complex cuisine known today as cocina veracruzana.

One of Veracruz’s quintessential dishes is pescado a la veracruzana, which is fish bathed in a wonderful sauce made from a mix of native American ingredients (tomatoes, peppers) with those from the Old World (olives, garlic, onions). But veracruzana sauce is equally enjoyable even when there’s no fish around. I’ve found it especially delicious with lean pork.

Pork Chops a la Veracruzana is an easy, satisfying dish that is relatively quick to make. Serve it with cooked rice or boiled potatoes and you have a complete meal. Or—for a slightly different take on the same flavors—you can serve the meat on one side of the plate, then add the sauce mixed with cooked spaghetti on the other.

Please note: practically no self-respecting Mexican cook would use the canned tomatoes called for here; fresh vegetables are always a must in that country. (I’ll write about Mexicans’ aversion to canned and frozen food another day.) However, I have found canned, diced tomatoes to be an acceptable substitute for fresh ones in some recipes, including this one. If you opt to use fresh tomatoes, be sure to peel them first, then dice; you’ll need 2 or 3 cups of the dice. Sautee the tomatoes a bit with the onion and peppers before you add the pork chops, then continue with the rest of the recipe as written.

For more ideas on substitutions and variations of this recipe, see Veracruz Sauce; scroll down to the paragraphs entitled Tips and Variations.

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Pork Chops a la Veracruzana

Flavorful chops braised in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives—a slightly different take on Mexico’s classic fish dish from the state of Veracruz.

Course main

Cuisine Authentic Mexican

Keyword pork chops, Veracruz

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 375 kcal

Author Robin Grose / comboplate.net

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil optional
• 4 pork chops
• 1 small red or white onion sliced, then the slices quartered
• 1 small green pepper cut into strips
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 12 pitted green olives quartered
• 1 small pickled jalapeño pepper chopped
• 2 tablespoons liquid from the pickled jalapeños
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt or bouillon powder or paste to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick sautee pan or skillet over medium heat. Place the pork chops in the pan in a single layer. Fry, turning once, until each side of the chops is slightly browned. (Note: if pork chops have a bit of nice fat on the edges, you won’t need as much oil, and maybe none at all.)
2. Remove the chops from the pan and keep warm. Add the sliced onion and green pepper to the pan and sautee, stirring often, until the onion has become translucent, but not brown.
3. Return the chops to the pan. Add the tomatoes, olives, chopped jalapeño, jalapeño liquid, garlic, and oregano. Cover the pan with a lid at an angle so that plenty of steam can evaporate. Let everything cook gently, stirring once in a while, for about 10 minutes.

4. Add salt or bouillon powder/paste (vegetable or chicken work well) to taste and cook for 5 more minutes, until all the ingredients are well-cooked.

5. Serve your flavorful Pork Chops a la Veracruzana with rice or cooked potatoes, if desired.

More deliciousness with pork:

• Easy Ham and Potato Chowder
• Grandpa Foley Special (Smoked Sausage Dinner)