Cotolette alla Zingara

By LeeBoruchow

Pork chops + peppers/chiles = one of the best combos ever... confirmed. Alla "Zingara," meaning like the gypsies... because of the vibrant colors i suppose.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 quarts water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup brown sgar
• 12 black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 6 pork rib chops
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips
• 5 bulb onions, cut into rings, green tops thinly sliced and reserved
• 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 tbsp capers with their brine
• 1 tbsp red chile flakes

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the brine: In a small saucepan combine 2 cups of water with the salt and pepper and stir until dissolved over high heat. Pour into a large sealable container and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, and the remaining water. Once cooled, add the pork chops and refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Remove pork chops from brine and pat dry. Dredge the pork in the flour.

In a 14 to 16-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Working in batches, cook the chops until dark brown on one side, about 7 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for another 4 minutes. Remove to a plate. Once all chops are browned, add the peppers, olives, capers, chile flakes, and onions to the pan and saute for a bit, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the peppers are soft, add the wine and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add the chops. Cook for about 10 minutes until the chops reach 145 degrees F.

Season the pepper mixture and stir in the reserved onion tops. Transfer to a plate with a drizzle of good oil.