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Pork Pizzaiola

Dec 13, 2020 · 21 Comments

Today’s pizzaiola features tender pork prepared with a fresh marinara sauce, and then topped with melted mozzarella, plenty of garlic, and red onion.

Pizzaiola (of any kind) is an old family favorite in my house. I used to make this for my kids as a fun weekend dinner every once in a while, and it was always an event. On the one hand, the sauce drenched meat and stringy melted mozzarella made it a treat to eat, while also being a simple enough recipe to let them have fun getting their hands dirty helping me in the kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1) Perfect for Busy Weeknights. Combing a simple marinara sauce in a cast iron pan with pork chops and mozzarella, this recipe is a one pan meal that looks and tastes like a real treat – and yet it couldn’t be simpler or more intuitive to put together.

2) Layers of Fun. Simple meals often times sacrifice either on flavor or ‘fun,’ but not this one. I know this might sound silly, but this recipe is just so much fun to prepare and eat. From the melted mozzarella, to the hardy sauce, to the pork chops themselves, this recipe combines layers of flavor, and makes you feel like a true gourmand in the process.

3) Ripe for Experimentation. Whether you want give the sauce a spicy kick with some chili peppers, or try out different cheeses, or a different meat, or really anything you can think of to modify today’s recipe to meet your preference, today’s pizzaiola is intuitive and simple to experiment with.

Ingredients – Tips, Pointers, and Explanations

1) Mozzarella. Fresh vs Packaged. Fresher is always better. True. So, opt for fresh whenever you can. However, if I’m being honest, fresh mozzarella is far from always being a ‘must.’ Recipes that call for fresh mozzarella involve those where the ‘milky’ taste and ‘fluffy’ texture won’t either be overpowered by the other ingredients, or destroyed by a harsh cooking process. However, if the mozzarella is going to be drowned out by a medley of powerful ingredients, or baked down, then you can save yourself a few dollars and buy packaged. After all, there’s really no point in paying for fresh mozzarella when all of the qualities that make ‘fresh’ desirable are being lost. Today’s recipe is one such case.

2) Fresh Oregano vs Dried – and Possible Substitutions. In an unusual twist, dried oregano is generally preferred in the kitchen over its fresh counterpart – although there are exceptions. The one word you’ll likely always come across when reading about fresh oregano is ‘pungent,’ and occasionally ‘intrusive.’ Fresh oregano has a tendency to steal the limelight. For this reason, it’s at home in recipes with ‘powerful’ ingredients, or where other fresh ingredients are present. Things like Greek salads, whole roasted fish, grilled lamb, heavy sauces, or in herbal mixes for use in stuffing scored pork shoulders. In other words, recipes that aren’t ‘gentle’ or light. For virtually all other uses, dried oregano is preferable, since the drying process mellows it dramatically – which is almost the polar opposite of what happens with other dried herbs, where the drying process has a tendency to ‘concentrate’ rather than mellow the herbs’ most prominent qualities.

Substitution: Dried basil or thyme at a 1-to-1 ratio.

3) Capers – What are these things anyway? They are the flower buds of the Finders Rose or ‘Caper Bush.’ Oddly, they area wildly unpalatable if eaten fresh or dried – being mouth-parchingly bitter. However, when pickled, brined, or preserved in salt, the bitterness fades away to a ‘pleasant tanginess,’ a flavor that’s variously described as ‘lemony,’ ‘anchovy-like,’ ‘salty,’ and ‘olive-like,’ or some combination thereof. They are ‘not’ often described as ‘bitter,’ which might lead to the very understsandable conclusion that their flavor doesn’t actually come from the flower-bud itself, but rather from the packaging. Ouch. Thus, capers may in fact merely be the ‘vessel’ for ‘brine flavor.’ Regardless of the truth behind their flavor, these little pickled flowers-that-weren’t are staple of Mediterranean Cuisine, being especially prominent in Italian, Spanish, Greek, Cypriot, and Moroccan cuisine, while also making an appearance in regional Argentine cuisine. Caper leaves, which feature a somewhat more ‘pungent’ or simply more ‘intense’ flavor than olive leaves, are a unique fixture of certain Hellenic recipes.

Pizzaiola – What is it, exactly?

1) What in a word? In Italian, ‘pizzaiolo,’ literally means ‘pizza maker,’ or ‘pizza chef.’ Conversely, ‘pizzaiola’ is simply a ‘fresh tomato sauce,’ typified by those used on pizzas. Thus, one might logically conclude that ‘Pork Pizzaiola’ is ‘Pork Pizza Style.’

2) Is there a ‘Right Way?’ Given the above, pizzaiola doesn’t ‘really’ have a set formula, except that fresh tomato sauce makes an appearance, along with other ingredients that one might consider to be reminiscent of a Roma-style pizza – red sauce, mozzarella, and perhaps a light dusting of herbs.

3) Layers. Simply dropping the pork – or steak, or chicken, or fish – into a red sauce, and then topping it with cheese …that’s more of a ‘pork and cheese stew’ than a pizzaiola. For this reason, I tend to think of the meat being ‘layered’ with the ingredients. A layer of sauce topped by cheese, dusted wither herbs, and then perhaps finished with grating cheese right before serving.

More Italian Favorites from Living the Gourmet

1) Ravioli. My favorite twist on a beloved classic, these homemade ravioli are blissfully simple to prepare, but the real draw here is the delicious mix of asiago, ricotta, mozzarella, and romano, coupled with a fresh red sauce, plenty of garlic, and fresh spinach.

2) Sweet Mediterranean Lasagna. This lasagna is a bit more colorful by design as compared to the traditional layers of noodles, red sauce, and mozzarella, featuring fresh baby spinach, a touch of sweetness from raisins and cinnamon, and ‘Mediterranean’ flavors such as capers, oregano, and lots of fresh garlic.

3) Meatballs with Rasins and Pignoli Nuts. My absolute favorite meatball recipe of all time. Moist, flavorful, and versatile, well able to accompany pasta or to prepare a meatball sandwich, or even to eat on their own.

4) Breadsticks. At the risk of being old fashioned, I’m going to suggest breadsticks to pair with today’s eggplant, and these are much easier to prepare than you might think. Paired with some olive oil for dipping, or even some herbed butter or black coffee, these are super versatile and keep great. As a nice bonus, they never fail to impress the guests.

Living the Gourmet

Yields 4

Pork Pizzaiola

15 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 5 Total Time

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5 based on 3 review(s)

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Ingredients

  • 4 – 5 Boneless Pork Chops – about ½ inch in thickness
  • 2 cups flour – seasoned with salt, black pepper, dried oregano
  • Cooking oil – for frying
  • For the Sauce:
  • 2 large beefsteak tomatoes – diced
  • 1 red onion – sliced thin
  • 4 – 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbs. capers
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Fresh grated – Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • ½ - 1 cup shredded mozzarella - for topping the pork chops

Instructions

    For the Pork:
  1. Dredge the pork chops in the prepared flour.
  2. Heat a large cast iron frying pan with a tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl around to coat the pan.
  3. Cook each side of the pork chop so the flour coating gets a beautiful golden color. About 3 minutes per side.
  4. For the Sauce:
  5. Heat a large cast iron frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
  6. Place the onion and garlic in the heated pan.
  7. When the onion gets a slight golden color and the garlic is fragrant add the capers, seasonings and tomatoes.
  8. Simmer on a low heat until the tomatoes soften.
  9. Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
  10. Leaving the pork chops in the pan they were sautéed in, cover each pork chop with the sauce, grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese, and shredded the mozzarella.
  11. Drizzle the top of each pork chop with a ½ tsp. of olive oil.
  12. Bake in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes.
7.8.1.2
1508
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Pork

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes says

    13/12/2020 at 7:26 pm

    Very juicy, tender and delicious!
    Reply
  2. DAVID J MYERS says

    13/12/2020 at 7:51 pm

    Catherine, I'm guessing that one real positive for this pork recipe is that with the pizzaiola sauce is that in addition to flavor the meat must stay nice and moist. Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:08 pm

      Dear Dave, Yes, The sauce and baking the pork in the sauce lets it stay nice and moist. My daughter enjoyed this dish very much. I wish you and Laurie the very best always.
      Reply
  3. Lisa says

    14/12/2020 at 4:34 pm

    I’ve never heard of pork pizzaiola and I live in Italy! This looks delicious, I need to show this to my nonna :)
    ★★★★★
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:09 pm

      Dear Lisa, I hope that your nonna likes this recipe. I am sure she is such a good cook. xoxo
      Reply
  4. Cristina Petrini says

    14/12/2020 at 7:10 pm

    These are the beautiful meat recipes that I like to cook but above all to eat!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:10 pm

      Thank you Cristina, I hope that you enjoy this if you give it a try. xo
      Reply
  5. Heather says

    15/12/2020 at 4:57 am

    I don't think I've ever tried this before. It looks and sounds like something I'd love.
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:11 pm

      Dear Heather, I know that my son and daughter enjoyed this dish very much. I hope that you do to if you give it a try. xo
      Reply
  6. Sondra Barker says

    15/12/2020 at 6:41 am

    This looks so delicious! I can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!! -Sondra Barker https://www.cuisineandtravel.com/
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:11 pm

      I hope that you like it if you give it a try Sondra. xo
      Reply
  7. Rachita Saxena says

    15/12/2020 at 2:31 pm

    This recipe looks so amazing and love the pictures! Gonna try it out this weekend. 😄
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:11 pm

      I hope that you like it Rachita if you give it a try this weekend. xo
      Reply
  8. Dan "Jay" Reyes says

    15/12/2020 at 7:30 pm

    I don't eat pork, but this looks yummy!
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:12 pm

      I suppose that you could try this with eggplant, chicken or even a fish. Thank you for visiting.
      Reply
  9. monica y says

    16/12/2020 at 4:21 am

    You are making me so hungry, I have some pork and I think I need to follow this recipe to surprise the family
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:13 pm

      Dear Monica, I hope that your family enjoys this if you give it a try. Thank you always for visiting. xo
      Reply
  10. Amary says

    16/12/2020 at 11:25 am

    This looks so good, i like trying new food and this is something worth trying, hope it comes out delicious for me
    Reply
    • Catherine Pappas says

      17/12/2020 at 9:13 pm

      I hope that you enjoy it Amary, Please let me know how you like it. Thank you always for visiting. xo
      Reply
  11. Rosey says

    18/12/2020 at 10:59 am

    This is just the kind of thing I loved my mom to make when I was a kid. Easy for her, and fun for me to be able to help and then of course, everyone enjoyed the end result. :)
    Reply
  12. Cathey says

    07/01/2021 at 2:25 pm

    This was outstanding, tender and moist. My late M-I-L use to make steak pizzaiola and it was always dry and over cooked. My husband loved it and requested I keep it in my menu rotation. Thank Catherine, Happy n Healthy New Year!
    ★★★★★
    Reply

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