Skillet Pork Chops with Vegetables
Try this Skillet Pork Chops with Vegetables recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Skillet Pork Chops with Vegetables recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons better than beef (bouillon mix)
- 2 (1-inch thick) pork chops
- 1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped green beans
- 1 small potato peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Carbohydrate 1.962875625 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.75992812572367 g
- Fiber 0.468406249463558 g
- Protein 1.08160375 g
- Saturated Fat 0.246571812599924 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (130g)
- Sodium 698.830275004021 mg
- Sugar 1.49446937553644 g
- Trans Fat 0.0560547500195974 g
- Calories 26 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large measuring cup or small bowl, stir together water, Better than Beef, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil on medium-high in a large skillet and add pork chops. Brown well on both sides, then turn heat down to medium.
- Add carrot, green beans, and potato. Sprinkle basil, salt and pepper over vegetables.
- Pour sauce over vegetables and pork chops and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 45 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through and vegetables are tender.
Controlling the medium-high heat during the initial sear is critical to avoid burning the surface before the interior begins to render. Cast iron skillets retain heat efficiently for this task, promoting the Maillard reaction between the pork proteins and the olive oil. Achieving deep brown crusts on both sides requires keeping the meat dry before it hits the hot metal.
Combining beef bouillon, soy sauce, and water creates an umami-rich braising liquid driven by glutamates interacting with the pork and vegetables. Soy sauce supplies free amino acids that amplify the savory characteristics of the beef base, while garlic and onion powders distribute evenly through the aqueous medium compared to fresh pieces that might scorch.
Simmering the cubed potatoes and carrots in this seasoned broth softens their starches and pectin structures uniformly over forty-five minutes. Cutting the root vegetables into uniform half-inch pieces ensures identical thermal conductivity so the potatoes do not disintegrate before the carrots tenderize.
Evaluating doneness visually relies on observing clear juices rather than pink when piercing the thickest part of the meat with a sharp knife. Overcooked lean pork loses moisture rapidly as muscle fibers tighten past seventy-four degrees Celsius internally, making frequent observation essential during the final ten minutes of simmering.
