Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Roasted Fennel and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic
• Pepper
• Wine vinegar
• Red wine
• Pork chops
• Tomatoes
• Thyme

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Warm the olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then lay them in the hot oil. Cook until the chops are nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, tipping them briefly onto the edges so a little of the fat can melt. Move the pork chops to a plate.
2. Add the tomatoes, fennel, thyme, and garlic to the same skillet over medium heat, and toss everything together. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the pan, until the mixture smells fragrant. Take out the garlic and discard it. Set the pork chops over the vegetables, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the vegetables are tender and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the chops reads 145 degrees F, 6 to 10 minutes.
3. Discard the thyme. Move the pork chops to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes. Stir the red wine vinegar into the vegetables. Spoon the vegetables onto plates, place the pork chops on top, and finish with the reserved fennel fronds. For a heartier meal, serve over polenta.