Pork Chop Osso Bucco

Ingredients:

Pork:

• 6 thick-cut, bone-in pork chops
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 cups onion, medium dice
• 1-1/2 cups carrot, medium dice
• 1-1/2 cups celery, medium dice
• 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped
• 1 Tbsp oregano, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup marinara
• 1 Tbsp orange zest or 2 strips (1" x 2") orange peel, pith removed
• 2 tsp, plus more for seasoning, salt
• 1 tsp, plus more for seasoning, pepper

Gremolata:

• 1-1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped

Preparation:

• To prepare the pork, season the chops with a little salt and pepper.



• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, use enough oil to sear both sides of the pork chops and remove from the skillet. Add the remaining oil to the same skillet, then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables just begin to soften. Stir in the garlic, dust the flour over the mixture, and stir in the tomato paste. Cook for just a few minutes until the color of the paste begins to darken, but do not let the mixture scorch. Add the herbs and red wine to deglaze the skillet. Stir in the stock, marinara, zest, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.



• Place a couple spoons of the vegetable mixture in the bottom of a slow cooker. Put in the pork chops, then cover with the remaining vegetable mixture. Place on the lid and cook on the medium or high setting for about 3 hours. Check the chops for tenderness. They should be just able to be pulled apart with a fork, but still attached to the bone.



• To prepare the gremolata, mix together the lemon zest, parsley, and garlic.



• To serve the meal, place a chop on each plate, spoon on some of the sauce from the slow cooker, and top with a little bit of the gremolata.