Grape Tomato and Balsamic Pork Chops

Here’s a quick and easy recipe I whipped up last night for supper.  It was one of those nights when I stood in front of the fridge and stared blankly wondering what on earth I was going to make for supper.  Well let’s face it those days are quite frequent in my world.  Meal planning or even planning a day ahead is not my forte.  Seriously I can come home and start supper with one thing in mind and by the time it’s done I’ve gone in a completely different direction. I also didn’t want to dirty 568 dishes in the process of making supper. So this dish was perfect.  Just a few simple ingredients, one pan and a little time. 
Since I was just winging it these measurements are estimates so feel free to adjust it to your taste.

Grape Tomato and Balsamic Pork Chops

• 3 lbs bone in pork chops
• 4 – 5 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 package of grape tomatoes
• 1 – 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup red wine
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp chicken broth or water
• 1 tsp oregano
• EVOO
• sea salt and pepper

Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper and bring to room temperature. Preheat your skillet once hot add oil and sauté chops till brown on both sides.  Remove from pan and cover loosely with foil while preparing the sauce.  If necessary add a little more oil to the pan.  Add onions to the pan and sauté for a few minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.  Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, balsamic, wine, broth, oregano, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer until tomatoes are soft and start to pop. Return chops to pan.  Cover and simmer till chops are cooked through.
I just wanted salad to go with mine so I had some Organic Field Greens with Herbs in the fridge.  There was ample sauce in the pan so I just topped the greens with a pork chop and some sauce then drizzled with some additional balsamic over top. 


I usually pick up the cherry tomatoes when they are on sale or in the discounted produce section then just throw the whole package in the freezer.  You can’t use them for salads but they are perfect for a tomato sauce or any dish that calls for tomatoes.  You don’t have to thaw them just pop them in right out of the freezer.