Shelly's Recipe

POT OF PORK

Category: Soups

4 thick-cut skin-on pork chops
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp cracked black pepper
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 cup bacon drippings or vegetable oil
2 cups onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup garlic, finely diced
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups carrots, diced
1 cup dry red wine
5 cups beef stock
1 sprig rosemary
4 onions, quartered
6 carrots, halved
8 new potatoes

Preheat oven to 400. Cut 2 strips of bacon into 1/4-inch strips about 1 1/2 inches long. Combine salt and pepper with the garlic. Using a sharp paring knife, cut 6 - 8 (1-inch deep) slits into the pork chops. Roll bacon and place one roll in each slit. Continue until all slits have been stuffed. Season chops well on all sides using salt and cracked black pepper.

In a cast iron Dutch oven, heat bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Brown chops well on all sides. When golden brown, add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add tomato sauce, carrots and red wine, blending well into the vegetable mixture. Add beef stock and rosemary, bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover Dutch oven and allow chops to simmer 3 1/2 hours.

Wrap onions topped with 1 tbsp of butter in aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. When the chops are tender remove from stock and strain. Discard vegetables and return stock to the pot. Return chops to pot with carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are tender. Serve by placing a portion of the onions, potatoes and vegetables with the chops in a soup bowl and top with stock. Eat as you would vegetable soup.