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Frying pork in a frying pan

Pan-Fried Pork in Tomato Gravy

Serve this pan-fried pork with any side you like. It's a diner-style classic—the kind of simple braised meat in tomato gravy you'd find on just about every lunch-counter menu. And what could be easier or tastier than that? These days, with so much meat around for every taste and budget, we can make it with tenderloin or fillet. It started out, though, as a thrifty way to use up trimmings left over from other dishes.

Maria

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork (boneless)

500

Onion

Tomato paste

Water (hot)

150

Vegetable oil

Dry spices (for pork)

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 33 % 10 g

Fats 57 % 17 g

Carbohydrates 10 % 3 g

194 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make pan-fried pork in tomato gravy? Gather your ingredients. You'll need: boneless pork (I'm using tenderloin, but pre-cut stew meat works too), an onion, tomato paste, boiling water, vegetable oil, spices for pork, and salt.
Step 2:

Rinse and dry the pork, then cut it into strips.
Step 3:

Peel the onion and slice it into half-rings.
Step 4:

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and add the pork. Fry over medium heat, stirring.
Step 5:

Once the meat starts releasing plenty of juice, season it with salt and spices.
Step 6:

Lower the heat and cook, stirring, for about 20 minutes, until the meat is browned all over. Add the onion and fry it with the meat for about 5 minutes.
Step 7:

Add the tomato paste. Stir and simmer over low heat for 3–5 minutes.
Step 8:

Pour the boiling water into the meat. Stir well and simmer for about 7 minutes. Add more salt if needed.
Step 9:

Serve right away with any side. It's especially good with steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta. Enjoy!

To nail this simple dish every time, follow a few easy rules: — Cut the meat across the grain, in pieces no larger than about 1 inch (3 cm). — Thaw frozen pork ahead of time on the bottom shelf of the fridge. When you plan your menu, take a portion out the night before, and by morning you'll be cooking with good meat that kept its juices through thawing. — You can swap ketchup for the tomato paste. It's also delicious made with sour cream in equal parts with any tomato element. — Finely chopped root vegetables—carrot, turnip, celery—and fresh herbs fit right in. This tasty, wholesome dish is sure to please both kids and adults. Any side becomes far tastier paired with juicy pan-fried pork and its gravy.
Important! The wrong skillet can ruin even the best recipe. For all the details on how to choose the perfect pan for different dishes, read here.
Every oil is only good up to a certain point—its smoke point, where it starts to burn and forms toxic compounds, including carcinogens. For how to gauge frying temperature and pick the best oil to fry with (and which ones to avoid entirely), read here.
If you use a ready-made spice blend, always check the ingredient list on the package. These blends often already contain salt, so keep that in mind or you risk over-salting the dish.