Italian-Inspired Baked Pork Chops with Potatoes

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 90 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

During a trip to Florence in 2018, I managed to secure a lunch reservation at Trattoria Sergio Gozzi, a bustling trattoria just around the corner from The Basilica di San Lorenzo, one of the city’s largest churches and many Medicis’ final resting place. The heavy wood tables were packed in closely, so I was able to scope out what those nearby were eating. At one of the louder tables, I noticed two men sharing a pork chop that smelled so outrageously delicious I needed to try it. So we ordered it, even though I’d already ordered two other courses, because this was Tuscany and I usually listen to my gut.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
2 medium yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
1 small fennel bulb (about 10 ounces)
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) bone-in pork chops
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 pounds medium or large Yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, or poultry mix
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine

Instructions

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Meanwhile, coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Prepare the following, placing them in the same large bowl: Halve and thinly slice 2 medium yellow onions. Thinly slice 6 garlic cloves. Trim the leafy tops from 1 small fennel bulb, then halve and thinly slice the bulb.
Season 4 bone-in pork chops with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the pork chops in 2 batches: add to the pan and sear until golden-brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion mixture to the pan and season with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and slice 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place in the baking dish, season with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange into an even layer. Coarsely chop 2 tablespoons fresh herbs until you have 2 tablespoons.
When the onion mixture is ready, remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the onion mixture on top of the potatoes in an even layer. Pour 1 cup dry white wine into the now-empty pan, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom, and pour into the baking dish.
Place the pork chops on the onions in a single layer, and pour any accumulated juices from the plate over them. Pour 1 cup chicken broth over everything. Sprinkle evenly with the herbs.
Bake uncovered until the pork chops register at least 140ºF on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part and the potatoes are cooked through, about 1 hour.