Smothered Pork Chops

When my husband recently suggested collard greens for dinner, I decided to make this easy smothered pork chop recipe from America’s Test Kitchen to serve with the greens. This pork chop recipe was fun to prepare, 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 of flavor to the sauce. The pork was tender, juicy, and delicious, and the onion gravy was outstanding. I served these smothered pork chops with creamy mashed potatoes, collard greens, and dinner rolls for a delicious meal my family really enjoyed.

Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bacon cut into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 tbsp flour
• ¾ cup + 2 tbsp chicken broth
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 bone-in rib pork chops, ½ to ¾ 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, chopped

How to Make Smothered Pork Chops:

Cook the bacon crumbles in a large cast-iron 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 cast-iron skillet. Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until it is dark golden brown, similar to 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 1 tablespoon of oil (or bacon grease) to the heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel, then season both sides with freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Using tongs to hold the pork chops on their side, render the fat for about 2 minutes.

After rendering the fat side of the chop, lay it flat in the HOT cast-iron 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 foil.

Cook the onions by adding a bit more oil to the cast-iron skillet if needed, then add the onions and water. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste, and 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 cast-iron 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 cast-iron skillet, then cover with a lid, reduce the 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 foil tent.

Finish the sauce by increasing the heat to medium-high and cooking 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.

To serve, cover the chops with the sauce and top with more parsley and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately and enjoy.