Pork is a very popular meat in Italy, but it is eaten more often in the form of sausage or cured. It wasn’t until I started to work as a private chef that I realized what a fixture pork chops are on American tables. This is my Italian take on an American classic, pork chops and applesauce; the onions cook down to a jam-like condiment.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　

Onion Marmellata

1/4 cup olive oil

　　4 large onions, thinly sliced

　　1/4 cup orange marmalade

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

　　1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)

　　

Pork Chops

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　4 to 6 boneless, center-cut pork chops

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　

To Make the Onion Marmellata

Step 1

place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions. Stir to combine and cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes, then add the remaining marmellata ingredients. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should have a soft, jam-like consistency and a deep mahogany color.

　　

Step 2

Once the marmellata is simmering, season the pork chops: Combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work all the ingredients together until well combined. Rub the herb mixture over the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes.

　　

Step 3

About 20 minutes before the onions are finished, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. When hot, grill the pork chops to medium, about 7 minutes per side depending on their thickness or 9 to 10 minutes for well done. To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.