Smothered Pork Chops
When my husband recently suggested collard greens for dinner, I decided to finally try making smothered pork chops to serve with the greens. I went to America’s Test Kitchen for their recipe because I always learn a lot and their recipes turn out delicious! It was a fun recipe to make and the smells in my kitchen were incredible. I think using bacon grease and letting the roux get so golden brown before adding the broth really added depth to the flavor of the sauce. The pork turned out tender, juicy, and delicious and the onion gravy was outstanding. I served these smothered pork chops with buttery egg noodles and collard greens with bacon for a delicious meal that my family really enjoyed. I had the leftover bits of pork, sauce, noodles, and collards in a bowl tossed together for lunch today and it was AMAZING!
How to Make Smothered Pork Chops
Cook the bacon crumbles in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and place on a paper towel; set aside.
Make the roux by removing all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet. Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until the color is dark golden brown like the color of peanut butter, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth in a slow stream; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cover; set aside.
Cook the pork chops by adding one tablespoon of oil (or bacon grease) to a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel then season with freshly cracked pepper, to taste, on both sides of the pork.
Render the fat on the side of the chop if needed by using tongs to hold the pork chop upright while the fat cooks down. After rendering the side fat, lay the pork down in the HOT skillet and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook another 3 minutes.
Remove from the skillet and place on a plate then cover loosely with tin foil.
Cook the onions by adding a bit more oil to the skillet, if needed, then add the onions and water then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened and browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Finish the chops by returning them to the skillet then covering them with the onions, reserved sauce from the other skillet, and any juices from the pork chop plate. Add the bay leaf to the sauce in the skillet then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low, and simmer until the pork is tender and a pairing knife inserted into the chops meets very little resistance, about 30 minutes. Transfer chops to a serving plate and cover loosely with a tent of tin foil.
Finish the sauce by increasing the heat to medium-high and simmer the sauce rapidly, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, and taste. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed.
Cover the chops with the sauce and top with more parsley and crumbled bacon. Serve and enjoy.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp flour
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp chicken broth
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 bone-in rib pork chops. 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick patted dry with paper towels
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 yellow onion halved and sliced thin
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tbsp fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the bacon crumbles in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel; set aside.
- Make the roux by removing all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until the color is dark golden brown like the color of peanut butter, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in the chicken broth in a slow stream; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cover; set aside.
- Cook the pork chops by adding one tablespoon of oil (or bacon grease) to a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel then season with freshly cracked pepper, to taste, on both sides of the pork.
- Render the fat on the side of the chop if needed by using tongs to hold the pork chop upright while the fat cooks down for 2 minutes.
- After rendering the side fat, lay the pork down in the HOT skillet and cook for 3 minutes then flip and cook another 3 minutes.
- Remove from the skillet and place on a plate then cover loosely with tin foil.
- Cook the onions by adding a bit more oil to the skillet, if needed, then add the onions and water then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened and browned around the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the bay leaf to the sauce in the skillet then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low, and simmer until the pork is tender and a pairing knife inserted into the chops meets very little resistance, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer chops to a serving plate and cover loosely with a tent of tin foil.
- Finish the sauce by increasing the heat to medium-high and simmer the sauce rapidly, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, and taste.
- Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed.
- Cover the chops with the sauce and top with more parsley and crumbled bacon. Serve and enjoy.
Very flavourful and yummy!
My mother used to make smothered pork chops but I haven’t had them in years. I’ve got some nice ones in the freezer and I think this is how I’ll be preparing them.
What a great pork chop recipe. I bet it was delicious and the collards must have been a great side to have with this dish.
Looks fantastic Pam. When I was a kid that fat around the outside was my favorite part but Mom didn’t have to hold the chops on edge as they were pretty thin and chops required cooking to well done such that the meat was dry and hard but the fat was nice and crispy.
This looks like it was a terrific meal, Pam! I love the roux smothering the pork chops; that’s a great way to keep them from drying out.
your leftovers mish-mash sounds even better than these magnificent chops!