Recipe

Stewed Smoked Pork Chops with Potatoes and Cuban Sofrito

Name: Stewed Smoked Pork Chops with Potatoes and Cuban Sofrito
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 4 smoked pork chops fully cooked , with bone, 1.5 cm thick (about 800 g total); 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil; 1 medium onion (200 g), finely chopped; 1 green bell pepper (150 g), seeded and chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 120 ml (½ cup) dry wine; 400 g canned crushed tomatoes, unseasoned (1 can of 14 oz); 2 bay leaves; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 800 g potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and cut into 4 cm chunks; 500 ml (2 cups) low-sodium chicken broth or water, plus an extra 125 ml if needed; Salt to taste (taste at the end; usually ¼-½ teaspoon is enough); Cooked white rice, to serve

Smoked pork chops stewed in a pot with potatoes cooked inside a tomato, dry wine, and Cuban sofrito sauce. A juicy stew for 4.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

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Preparation20 min
Cooking50 min
Total time1 h 15 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy

Smoked chops from the market are one of the most practical things you can have in the refrigerator, and here we turn them into a very local stew: onion, green bell pepper, and garlic sofrito, a splash of dry wine, tomatoes, and potatoes that cook inside the sauce until tender and infused with flavor.

Unlike the version with browned chops and separately roasted potatoes that you already have in your recipe collection, this is spoon food and sauce, the kind that calls for a side of white rice. The key is not to overcook the chops: if they are already cooked, just brown them briefly and return them at the end to heat through in the sauce without drying out.

Method

Read the chop label: this method is for smoked pork chops that are fully cooked. If they are not, follow the version indicated in the tips. Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks about 4 cm, and leave them in a bowl with cold water so they do not darken while you prepare the rest.
Pat the chops very dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and brown them for only 1-2 minutes per side, just enough to take on color. Remove them to a plate and set aside with their juices.
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Reduce the heat to medium. In the same fat, add the onion and green bell pepper and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom, until soft and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, without burning it.
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Pour in the dry wine and let it boil for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom, until reduced by half and no longer smells of alcohol.
Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and takes on a darker red color.
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Drain the potatoes and add them to the pot with the 500 ml of broth (or water); they should be almost covered. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes over low heat.
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Uncover and check: the potatoes should be almost tender. If the sauce looks too thick or sticks, add hot broth in 60 ml increments (up to 125 ml). Continue cooking uncovered for 5-8 minutes, until a knife slides into the potatoes without resistance and the sauce is bound and coats the back of a spoon. If it remains watery, cook uncovered for a few more minutes.
Return the chops to the pot with their juices, nestling them among the potatoes and covering them with sauce. Cover and heat over low heat for 5-7 minutes, without boiling vigorously, until well heated through in the center (about 60 °C / 140 °F).
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Remove the bay leaves. Taste the sauce and adjust salt only if necessary, as the smoked meat already provides quite a bit. Let rest covered for 5 minutes.
Serve each chop with potatoes and plenty of sauce. If desired, accompany with white rice on the side.

Tips and variations

Check the label before starting. Smoked does not mean cooked. This recipe is designed for chops labeled fully cooked. If the label indicates they must be cooked before eating (e.g., 'cook before eating', 'uncooked'), change the method as follows: brown them 3 minutes per side, set aside, make the sauce as usual, and place them in the pot with the potatoes and broth, well submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chops reach 63 °C (145 °F) in the thickest part, without touching the bone. Let them rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Watch the salt. Smoked chops already contain quite a bit, and the broth adds more. That is why we use low-sodium broth (or water) and taste for salt only at the end.

The potatoes. Cut them to the same size so they cook evenly. Yellow or red potatoes hold their shape better; white starchy ones break down a bit more and thicken the sauce, which also has its charm.

If the sauce is too liquid, cook uncovered for a few more minutes before returning the chops. If it is too thick, add hot broth in 60 ml increments.

Storage. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat over low heat with a splash of water or broth, covered, until well heated through. It can be frozen for up to 2 months, although the potatoes become somewhat softer and grainier upon thawing.