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Poor Man's Pork Chops |
6 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
2 large onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
11/2 pounds backing potatoes
Vegetable oil for frying
4 (1-inch thick) center–cut pork chops
4 eggs
Heat the 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, and keep warm.
Bring the oil in a deep fryer to 325F (165C). Peel the potatoes, cut into thin fries, and dry thoroughly in paper towels. Fry the potatoes, about 1 cup at a time, 3 to 4 minutes. They should not be brown at this point.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the pork chops with salt and black pepper. Add the pork to the skillet, and cook until brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat, and cook, turning, until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Be careful not to overcook pork, as it will become dry and tough. Transfer the pork to a platter and keep warm.
Again, bring the oil in the deep-fryer to 375F (190C). Meanwhile, fry the eggs, sunny side up, in the meat drippings. While the eggs are cooking, add the potatoes to the oil in batches, and fry until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels, salt, and serve them at once.
Place a pork chop in the center of a dinner plate, and top with an egg. Place caramelized onions on one side and crusty fries on the other.
Concha y Toro wishes to thank Ruth Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez for the recipe, an excerpt from her book, The Chilean Kitchen.