Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops
We had it over hot mashed potatoes because it made its own wonderful thick gravy, but it would be great over rice too. I found this recipe at Mels Kitchen Cafe
We had it over hot mashed potatoes because it made its own wonderful thick gravy, but it would be great over rice too. I found this recipe at Mels Kitchen Cafe
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 4 pork chops about 1-inch thick
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- mashed potatoes or hot cooked rice (for serving)
- Carbohydrate 18.8724930628039 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 27.0336147085944 g
- Fiber 0.257709732985041 g
- Protein 3.65848752219731 g
- Saturated Fat 3.73238020385864 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (156g)
- Sodium 1638.6230058494 mg
- Sugar 18.6147833298188 g
- Trans Fat 0.739464904551571 g
- Calories 327 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot.
- Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden.
- Transfer the chops to the slow cooker.
- Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!).
- Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour over chops.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender.
- If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker.
- Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth.
- Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker.
- Return the chops to the slow cooker.
- Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil.
- Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick.
- Add the pork and heat through.
- Serve the tender chops over potatoes or rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.
Why is the meat gray and the sauce watery when dump-and-go slow cooker recipes promise rich results without effort? Skeptics examining this dish will immediately notice the missing link between raw cuts and a successful braise, which is precisely why the brief initial browning phase matters so much. Scorching thick pork chops in a twelve-inch skillet for one to two minutes per side builds the crucial Maillard compounds that a ceramic crockpot simply cannot generate on its own. When raw proteins meet moist heat directly, they release soluble compounds that merge with rendered fats, laying down a foundation of savory depth that cheap liquids cannot imitate. Skipping this stovetop step leaves you with boiled meat lacking character. Beyond the sear, long cooking times demand careful management of starches to avoid a broken sauce. Incorporating a cornstarch slurry toward the end of the cooking cycle traps the escaping moisture from the simmering chicken broth and soy sauce, transforming thin pan juices into a glossy coat that clings properly to starches like mashed potatoes or steamed rice. Letting the pork cook low and slow for seven to eight hours ensures the muscle fibers relax completely, making it easy to extract bones before whisking in the thickener. Should you find yourself with extra portions the next day, store the meat submerged in its gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, knowing the flavor deepens further as the starches continue to marry overnight.
