Pan-fried pork chops with vinegar peppers
Pork second courses
This is classic Old World southern Italian fare: simple, pungent, porky. In the Old World and even in the new (see the pantry of Ann Hood’s mom, Gogo), the peppers that grow abundantly all summer long would be put up to be enjoyed throughout the winter. And then they are simply reheated in some of the pickling liquor, spooned over fat juicy pork chops. <br /> <br />The aging of the preserved peppers does enhance their flavor, but I’ve found that a quick and simple 24-hour pickle is easy, practical, and results in delicious “vinegar peppers,” as they call them in Gogo’s house. The ratio couldn’t be simpler: Stuff a 1 1/2 cup Ball jar with peppers (a mix of hot cherry and mild green is what Gogo prefers), equal parts vinegar and water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. That alone results in a perfectly balanced pickle. But more, it can be endlessly enhanced (add garlic, coriander, pepper, bay, cumin, you name it) for more complex pickles. <br /> <br />Of course, you can use store-bought pickled peppers for this pork with peppers dish; peppers preserve readily so even these are of good quality. Though I’m partial to the 24-hour pickle, as the peppers retain some crunch without feeling raw.
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