Polish Pork Chops

Pork loin chops browned and braised until tender, then smothered in a tangy sauce of tomato, sour cream, chopped dill pickle, and dry sherry. That dill pickle is the surprise ingredient that gives this its distinctly Polish character, adding a briny, vinegary sharpness that cuts through the rich sour cream.

The chops cook covered on low heat for about 20 minutes until nearly done, then onions go in for another 5 minutes. The sauce comes together at the very end: tomato sauce, sour cream, sherry, and diced pickle stirred in and heated gently. The cardinal rule here is DO NOT BOIL. Boiling curdles the sour cream and turns the sauce grainy.

The combination of tangy sour cream, acidic tomato, briny pickle, and dry sherry creates a sauce that’s more complex than any one ingredient would suggest.

Chef Tips

• Brown the chops well before covering. That seared crust adds flavor that slow cooking alone can’t provide.
• Keep the heat low once the sauce goes in. Gentle warming is all it needs. Sour cream breaks at high temperature.
• Dice the dill pickle small so it distributes evenly through the sauce.
• Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread to catch every drop of sauce.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of paprika when browning the chops for a more Hungarian-influenced flavor.
• Use chopped sauerkraut instead of dill pickle for a different Polish accent.
• Substitute bone-in chicken thighs for the pork chops. Same technique, same cook time.