This is one of those one pot meals that bring spice and a lot of flavor to the table. It is a traditional method of cooking and combining ingredients, especially in southern Italy, and many restaurants have it on their menus, especially those in the Little Italys across America. This method of adding the cherry peppers, potatoes, and vinegar can be used with chicken or rabbit, too. The spice gives the dish its “capricious” name.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　Six 8-ounce bone-in pork loin chops, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick

　　2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　All-purpose flour, for dredging

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

　　6 pickled hot cherry peppers, halved and seeded (or leave some seeds in for more heat)

　　1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

　　2 sprigs fresh rosemary

　　2 red onions, peeled and cut into eighths

　　1/2 cup white-wine vinegar

　　

Step 1

Season the pork chops all over with 1 teaspoon salt. Spread the flour on a plate, and dredge the chops in flour, tapping off the excess.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. When the butter melts, slide in the chops and brown on one side, about 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat. Turn the chops, and plop the garlic cloves in the spaces between them in the pan. When the garlic starts to sizzle, drop in the pickled cherry peppers, and let sizzle until the chops are browned on the second side, another 3 to 4 minutes.

　　

Step 3

When the chops are browned, push them to one side of the skillet and add the potatoes. Season the potatoes with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and sprinkle in the rosemary needles and the red onions. Cover the skillet, and cook, gently turning everything occasionally, until the onions and potatoes are almost tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Pour the vinegar into the skillet. Cook, covered, until the potatoes and onions are tender and the chops are cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Uncover, and season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. If the sauce is too liquid, remove chops to a plate, increase heat to high, and boil until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Pour the sauce over the chops.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2011 by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.