Sweet-Sour Pork Chops & Sweet Potatoes

A one-skillet dinner that gets a lot of flavor out of a short pantry list. Browned pork chops braise in a quick sweet-and-sour glaze of brown sugar, cider vinegar, salt, and a half teaspoon of cinnamon. The cinnamon is the touch that takes this out of the standard sweet and sour playbook and points it toward a brown-sugared American Midwest comfort dish.

The chops braise for 40 minutes at a low simmer so they go fork tender without drying out, then canned sweet potatoes join the pan for the last 5 minutes; just enough to warm through without breaking apart. A cornstarch slurry stirred into the pan liquid at the end thickens the braising broth into a glossy glaze that coats both the meat and the potatoes.

Keep the heat low during the long braise; a boil shreds pork chop fibers and toughens the meat. Serve immediately while the glaze is still loose enough to spoon over.

Pro Tips

• Use bone-in pork chops at least ¾ inch thick; thin chops dry out over a 40 minute braise.
• Brown well on both sides before adding the liquid; the fond is what gives the glaze its depth.
• Whisk the cornstarch with cold water (not warm) so it slurries smooth without lumping.
• Drain the canned sweet potatoes well before adding so they do not water down the glaze.

Variations

• Swap canned sweet potatoes for fresh peeled and cubed; add them with the cider vinegar and increase total cooking time by 15 minutes.
• Add a couple of star anise pods or a cinnamon stick to the braise for a more Chinese sweet-and-sour profile.
• Stir in a tablespoon of Dijon mustard with the cornstarch slurry for a sharper edge.