Smothered Pork Chops

Seriously- even though I'm not a huge pork chop fan, this recipe made me happy. But I am a big fan of smothering things (not my students or my family or my friends, but most foods). I consider most foods just vehicles for great sauces or gravies or toppings- like baked potatoes.

Look at that. Look. At. That. Gravy.  Hello, beautiful. I wish I had taken the time to go get my big girl camera- but I was too hungry! I served my smothered pork chops over mashed potatoes (rice or buttered egg noodles would be groovy, too).  I chose roasted Brussels sprouts as my veggie because they are awesome and under-loved. 

This is how it went down...

I heated my cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. I added a few glugs of canola oil (non-GMO) to the hot skillet. I dredged my boneless chops (about an inch thick) in seasoned AP flour (salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, oregano) and dropped them in the hot skillet. I let them go about 3 minutes a side. They don't need to cook through. I fished them out of the skillet and put them on a plate. 

I turned the heat down to medium and added 1 large onion that I had halved and sliced thinly. I also added another glug of oil. I added salt and pepper as well.  The onions sautéed for a few minutes, then I added about 3 or 4 tablespoons of plain AP flour to them and scraped them around for a few minutes. You are building a roux. Next, I added a few glugs of Applejack brandy. You could use wine or any other liquid- cider would be good!  I used what I had around. After that was absorbed, I poured in chicken stock. How much?  Well, I wanted to make enough gravy to cover the chops, so maybe 2 1/2 cups?  I really should start measuring. :)

I stirred the onions and stock around until it started to thicken up. I added another glug or two of Applejack and tasted for seasoning. I ended up adding more salt and pepper.  Then I turned the heat to low and watched until it came to a gentle simmer. 

I nestled the chops back in the skillet- making sure to pour any collected juices into the gravy. I double checked to make sure the gravy wasn't boiling, then put a lid on and let them fester for about 45 minutes. 

While they were simmering, I roasted the sprouts and mashed the potatoes. 

This will definitely go into the Sunday night rotation. Next time I might try it with chicken or veal!