Shelly's Recipe

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS - Crock pot

Category: Pork - Chops and Steaks

4 slices bacon, chopped fine

Vegetable oil (if necessary)
6 bone-in blade-cut pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick

Table salt and ground black pepper
3 yellow onions, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch half-moons
1 tsp light brown sugar plus 1 tbsp
1/4 cup water plus 2 tbsp
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
3 containers low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

Fry bacon in large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels, leaving fat in pan (you should have 2 tbsp fat; if not, supplement with oil). Refrigerate bacon.

Heat fat over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 3 chops until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chops to Crock Pot. Repeat with remaining chops and transfer to Crock Pot.

Pour off all but 1 tsp fat from skillet; add onions, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup water to now-empty skillet. Using wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from pan bottom and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Pour onion mixture over chops in Crock Pot. Add broth, soy sauce, and remaining 1 tbsp brown sugar to skillet, bring to boil, and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in crock pot.

Cover crock pot and cook on LOW until pork is very tender, about 8 hours (or cook on HIGH for 4 hours).

When ready to serve, reheat bacon in large saucepan until crisp and transfer to small bowl. Carefully transfer chops to serving platter with large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through mesh strainer into now-empty saucepan. Transfer solids to blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir back into remaining liquid in saucepan. Mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tbsp water together in small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 8 minutes. Add vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops, and sprinkle with bacon and parsley. Serve. Serves 6

NOTE: These pork chops are so tender that you'll need to remove them from the slow cooker with a spoon.

Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through step 3 a day in advance. Refrigerate the chops separately and the onion and broth mixtures together. In the morning, place the chops in the Crock Pot insert; bring the broth and onion mixture to a boil in a skillet, and pour it over the chops. Proceed as directed.