The Best Pork Chops You’ll Ever Cook

My husband and his family raise show pigs….and when I tell people that, they assume we eat a lot of pork.  Well um, no.  We don’t actually slaughter the pigs we raise….At least not usually.  But in this case, they actually did.  And let me tell you, the pork chops from this pig are thick, tender, and delicious!  We don’t eat a whole lot of red meat, so meals involving chicken, fish, and pork are our mainstays.  The other night, I was looking for a different way to cook these pork chops besides the usual pan-fry method.  I found this recipe, and decided to modify it a bit.  Eight hours later, my children were singing my praises at how succulent their dinner was and about what a talented, beautiful, saint-like mother they had.  (Okay, slight exaggeration, but they ate it all, so I’m calling it a WIN!)

Ingredients:

• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 6 bone-in pork chops (get as thick as you can)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

1. Fry up the bacon.  Once cooled, cut up into small pieces.  Reserve a bit of the bacon drippings (about 2 tablespoons).  Set aside.
2. Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium heat until rippling and hot. Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Brown chops for about a minute or so on each side.  This will probably take a few batches, as you only want to do two or three chops at a time. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker.
3. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to skillet. Scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft and transparent. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant. Pour skillet contents over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.
4. Cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours.
5. Serve over pasta (as shown), rice, or mashed potatoes with plenty of the yummy juices.
6. Sprinkle bacon bits on top right before serving and ENJOY!