Swabian peasant cuisine is thrifty, inventive and creative, just like the Swabians themselves. They used a lot of potatoes, flour, cabbage, fat, sometimes smoked meat, and everything that was grown around the house. Swabian pork chops are an easy-to-make one-pan dish, that requires just a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless pork chops, 1,5-2 cm / 2/3-3/4 inch thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground or crushed in a mortar
- 40 g (~1/3 cup) flour
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 50 g (~1 3/4 oz) lard or duck fat
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
- 500 ml (~2 cups) stock
- 1-2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
Pound the pork chops with a meat tenderizer until 2-3 mm / 1/8 inch thin. Season them on both sides with salt, pepper and ground or crushed coriander seeds. In a plate combine flour and paprika, and dip in the pork chops to coat them evenly. In a sauté pan heat lard or duck fat, add pork chops (one or two pieces at a time depending on the pan’s size) and sear for 1 minute on each side. Transfer them onto a plate.
Add minced garlic to the hot lard or duck fat that has remained after searing the meat, and over medium heat sauté for about a minute or until translucent (don’t let it brown). Stir in tomato paste, cook for 20-30 seconds, then pour in stock. Bring it to a boil and over medium heat cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes put the seared pork chops back into the pan, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and slowly simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Once the meat is done and the gravy has thickened, stir in parsley leaves. Serve hot with french fries or any potato side dish you like.
