The only way to do pork chops! Juicy, tender and of course Maltese.
This recipe is similar to patata fil-forn (roast potatoes) but you add the chops. I have used chicken stock this time and less tomato paste. You can also add crushed and chopped garlic but I didn’t this time. What makes this dish so tasty is that you bake it in the oven on a low temperature for a long time. Increase the temperature in the last half an hour to brown the potatoes.
This really is the only way to do pork chops as they taste so good. I have heard and discovered so many times that most Maltese recipes taste better when you bake or cook the dish on low heat for a longer time. This is so true for this recipe. I bake this pork dish covered with foil in the oven at 140oC for 2 1/2 hours. I then remove the foil and bake for a further 1/2 hour at 180oC. This method makes all the difference!
- 5 pork chops
- 10 small potatoes sliced thinly (or 3 large potatoes sliced thinly)
- 2 onions sliced thinly
- 3 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes crushed
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped (optional)
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 350 ml water boiled
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper
- Foil
- At the bottom of a small to medium sized baking dish place the onions to form one layer (it doesn't matter if they overlap a little bit).
- Sprinkle the garlic over the onions.
- Sprinkle one of the stock cubes over the onions.
- Place the chops over the onion and garlic.
- Season with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons fennel seeds.
- Layer the potatoes over the pork chops and make sure the chops are covered.
- Sprinkle the remaining stock cube and season.
- Sprinkle 3 teaspoons olive oil over the potatoes.
- Preheat oven to 140oC.
- In a large cup mix the boiled water, 1 teaspoon olive oil and tomato paste.
- Poor the water mixture into the baking dish from the side.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 2½ hours.
- Once the time has passed remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 180oC. Bake for a further ½ hour.