Description
Dutch Oven pork chops are a quick and healthy family dinner recipe. You only need some simple ingredients and a few easy tips to ensure juicy, flavorful chops.
Ingredients
- 4 bone in pork chops, 1/2" thick, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes whole *
- 1 zucchini sliced *
- 1 yellow squash, sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped *
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme *
- 2 sprigs fresh sage *
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute
- chopped parsley for garnish
- shaved parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Remove pork chops fro refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Dry well with paper towel. Rub salt and pepper onto both sides of meat.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or other oven safe pot.
- Fry the chops for 1 minutes per side, just to slightly brown them. Remove to platter.
- Heat remaining oil and fry the onions for 2 minutes until light brown. Add sliced garlic and fry for one minute. Turn down the heat if necessary so that it doesn't burn. Add the dry seasonings, tomatoes, red peppers, squash. Stir to combine.
- Add back the pork chops on top of vegetable mixture, place fresh herbs on top of pork. Stir together the balsamic vinegar and sugar, and pour over pork.
- Cover Dutch oven and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, depending on thickness of chop. Test the meat with a thermometer and if it registers at least 145°F., it is done. Remove to platter and let rest for just a few minutes.
- Serve with vegetables, spoon the juices from the Dutch oven over the pork. Garnish with optional chopped parsley and shaved parmesan.
Notes
*You can substitute the cherry tomatoes for a can of diced tomatoes, drained of the juice.
*You don't have to peel the squash and zucchini unless you prefer to. The skin is fairly thin and will soften as it cooks.
*Any leftover pork will stay fresh in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
*If you double the recipe and want to freeze any leftovers, the pork will freeze well up to 3 months. For best results, save some of the cooked liquids in the same container with the pork to reheat together after defrosted. I don't recommend freezing the squash, it will be too mushy when defrosted.
* I used a bit of Monk fruit for the sugar just to save a few carbs.