This dish brings together the bold, savory depth of seared pork chops with the vibrant
brightness of lemon and capers. The Stella Foods Bright Pepper blend adds warmth
and complexity, while white wine and thyme infuse the sauce with an aromatic richness.
Finished with a touch of butter for silkiness, this dish delivers a balance of tangy, briny,
and peppery notes—perfect for an elegant yet comforting meal. Serve with crusty bread
or over creamy mashed potatoes to soak up every drop of the luscious sauce. The use
of bone-in pork chops is very important as they stay moist without drying out and the
bone adds flavor.
Ingredients
4 bone-in pork chops (about 8 ounces each) (we used Iberico pork chops)
Stella Foods Bright Pepper blend
1 tsp of kosher salt
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon, optional)
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1½ cups chicken stock, homemade or low sodium, if store-bought
2 Tbsp drained capers
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1½ tsp freshly grated lemon zest, plus 2 Tbsp juice
Instructions
Prepare the chops:
1. Dry the pork chops with paper towels to remove moisture and season rather
aggressively with our Stella Foods Bright Pepper and thyme.
Prepare the sauce:
2. Add olive oil into a large skillet, over medium until the oil begins to shimmer,
but not smoke, you don’t want to burn the olive oil
3. Add chops and cook until well browned on each side and cooked through,
about 5 minutes per side. Don’t be tempted to touch the chops. This is the
time you’re creating a good sear/crust.
4. Once browned, transfer chops to a plate, and cover to keep warm my tenting
with foil.
5. Drain the existing oil/fat from the skillet and melt 2 Tbsp of butter over medium
heat until sizzling but not burned or turning brown.
6. Add the shallot and garlic, and sauté until the aromatics soften, reducing the
heat, if necessary, about 1 minute.
7. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Cooking this for the 2
minutes helps remove the “flour” taste
8. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock and raise heat to high and bring the to a
boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. These brown bits
are gold for this recipe as they are packed with flavor.
9. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced
by half, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
10. Stir in the capers, parsley, lemon zest and juice and hot sauce to taste and
simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter until it’s melted, this adds flavor and
makes the sauce take on a silkier look.
Check for flavor:
12. **This is a good time to taste the sauce for personal flavor. You may wish to
add a bit more salt. This is personal preference as some people like more salt
than others.
Gently warm and serve:
13. Gentle add the pork chops into the sauce to warm for a 1-2 minutes per side
then serve, pouring sauce over each pork chop to taste. Garnish with more
fresh parsley.