Bone-In Pork Chop Sandwich

An iconic dish from Chicago

By
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Nick Kindelsperger
Nick Kindelsperger is a food critic at the Chicago Tribune.  His food writing appears in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Epicurious, Baltimore Sun, Serious Eats, Grub Street, New York Magazine, and Tasting Table, among others.
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Updated September 11, 2023
Bone-In Pork Chop Sandwich
This iconic Chicago sandwich features a pork chop with its bone still firmly attached. . Nick Kindelsperger

Why It Works

  • Browning the onions, but not caramelizing them, gives you both flavor and texture.
  • Having the bone helps prevent overcooking (just don't chip a tooth).

Chicago has its fair share of iconic dishes, from deep dish pizza to the Chicago-style hot dog, but not all of these unique eats are well known outside of the city limits. Allow me to introduce one of the strangest: the bone-in pork chop sandwich. Yep, you read that right. This sandwich features a pork chop with its bone still firmly attached. Jim's Original is probably the most famous place serving the odd item, though I'm a big fan of Maxwell Street Depot.

Why do so many Chicagoans order these, knowing full well that they could get distracted and chip a tooth? Well, because the pork chops are cooked until they're golden brown and crispy, which is about as good a combination as you can find. To achieve this, all you need to do is dredge the chops lightly in flour, and cook in a healthy amount of oil.

The toppings are simple but essential. Each sandwich needs a smear of yellow mustard and a load of sautéed onions. Don't cook the onions too much; they need to be brown, but still with some texture. Oh, and if you're feeling brave, add some pickled sport peppers.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly sure if the bone is absolutely mandatory, so you can go boneless if you absolutely must (just don't tell anyone, okay?).

September 2013

This recipe has been edited for accuracy and now calls for yellow mustard (instead of brown) and indicates sport peppers are decidedly not the same as Serranos or Jalapeños.

Recipe Details

Bone-In Pork Chop Sandwich Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 soft hamburger buns

  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided

  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 thin-cut pork chops, bone-in (or boneless, if you're scared)

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

  • 4 tablespoons yellow mustard

  • 6 to 8 sport peppers (or pickled Serranos or Jalapeños), stems removed, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°. Place buns on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned but still with some texture, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Do not wipe out skillet.

  2. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and then shake off excess. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and tablespoon canola oil to skillet and heat over medium high heat until foaming subsides. Add as many of the pork chops as will fit in one layer. Cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chops and brown on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside when done. Repeat with any remaining chops.

  3. Place buns in oven to warm through. Take one bun and smear both cut sides with mustard. Top the bottom bun with a pork chop, sautéed onions, and a couple chopped sport peppers. Cap with the top bun, cut-side down. Repeat with remaining buns. Eat immediately, though be careful of the bone!

Notes

If you are unable to find pickled sport peppers you can substitute pickled Serrano or Jalapeño peppers. But please know they are not the same thing.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
485Calories
22gFat
54gCarbs
19gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories485
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g28%
Saturated Fat 10g48%
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 983mg43%
Total Carbohydrate 54g20%
Dietary Fiber 5g16%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 9mg44%
Calcium 163mg13%
Iron 4mg20%
Potassium 517mg11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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