Sauteed Pork Chops with Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage

Juicy bone-in pork chops served over tender braised red cabbage with crispy bacon. The cabbage is cooked with red wine vinegar, caraway seeds, and sugar for a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavors.

4 servings

1 hr 5 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•6 slices bacon slices, chopped
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 medium onion
•1 small red cabbage
•¼ cup red-wine vinegar
•¾ cup water
•2 tablespoons sugar
•½ teaspoon caraway seeds
•1¼ teaspoons salt
•¾ teaspoon black pepper
•4 pieces bone-in rib pork chops
•1 piece instant-read thermometer

Cooking Instructions

1.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
10 min
2.
Cook bacon in a 4- to 5-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Measure fat and, if less than 2 tablespoons, add enough vegetable oil to bring total to 2 tablespoons. Heat fat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage and turn with tongs until coated with fat. Stir in red-wine vinegar, water, sugar, caraway seeds, 3/4teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and braise cabbage over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
35 min
3.
Meanwhile, pat 2 pork chops dry and sprinkle both sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown seasoned chops, turning over once, 5 minutes total, and transfer to a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep). Season remaining 2 chops and brown in oil remaining in skillet in same manner, transferring to baking pan. Roast chops in oven until thermometer inserted horizontally 2 inches into center of a chop (do not touch bone) registers 145°F, 5 to 8 minutes.
13 min
4.
Meanwhile, stir half of bacon into cabbage, then finely chop remaining bacon for sprinkling.
2 min
5.
Let chops stand in pan, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes. Serve chops over cabbage, with any pan juices spooned over and sprinkled with bacon.
5 min

Ingredients

•6 slices bacon slices, chopped

•2 tablespoons vegetable oil

•1 medium onion

•1 small red cabbage

•¼ cup red-wine vinegar

•¾ cup water

•2 tablespoons sugar

•½ teaspoon caraway seeds

•1¼ teaspoons salt

•¾ teaspoon black pepper

•4 pieces bone-in rib pork chops

•1 piece instant-read thermometer

Cooking Instructions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

10 min

Cook bacon in a 4- to 5-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Measure fat and, if less than 2 tablespoons, add enough vegetable oil to bring total to 2 tablespoons. Heat fat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until it begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add cabbage and turn with tongs until coated with fat. Stir in red-wine vinegar, water, sugar, caraway seeds, 3/4teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and braise cabbage over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

35 min

Meanwhile, pat 2 pork chops dry and sprinkle both sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown seasoned chops, turning over once, 5 minutes total, and transfer to a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep). Season remaining 2 chops and brown in oil remaining in skillet in same manner, transferring to baking pan. Roast chops in oven until thermometer inserted horizontally 2 inches into center of a chop (do not touch bone) registers 145°F, 5 to 8 minutes.

13 min

Meanwhile, stir half of bacon into cabbage, then finely chop remaining bacon for sprinkling.

2 min

Let chops stand in pan, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes. Serve chops over cabbage, with any pan juices spooned over and sprinkled with bacon.

5 min