Hello Foodie Friends
Well Saturday was a BUSY day for us. Lot's going on.
So, it's was time to turn to the SLO-COOKER for a great meal that we could put together early, let cook all day, and be ready for dinner.
As you may or may not know, I have MANY Hobbies and one of those is Tropical Fish. I've had fish since I was 5 or 6 years old.
That being said, the Tampa Bay Aquarium Society was having their annual Fish Show and Action on Saturday and it was here in Ocala.
BUT, it conflicted with the Gators trip to South Carolina to take on their former coach.
I chose to forfeit the game and go look at fish. After all, it's ONLY a game.
So we need something QUICK, EASY, and most of all, TASTY
Let's make some SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS in the SLOW COOKER !!!
Don't forget to wash your hands.
I guess I'll use the other sink.
Let's introduce the Offense
4 Ounces Bacon (4 slices, CHOPPED)
3 Medium Yellow Onions (Halved and
sliced)
4 tsp Brown Sugar 3 tsp and 1 tsp
divided
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 TBL minced FRESH Thyme (or 1 tsp Dried)
1/3 Cup AP Flour
1 Cup Home Made Chicken Broth
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
2 Bay Leaves
6 Bone In Pork Chops (sides sliced to
prevent curling)
Salt & Pepper
1 TBL Cider Vinegar
1 TBL Minced FRESH Parsley
Cook Bacon in a 12 inch non stick
skillet over Medium Heat until crisp (5 to 7 minutes)
Transfer to slow cooker. Pour off
all but 2 TBL bacon fat left in skillet. (Full Disclosure: I forgot and left the bacon in the pan - Sue me.)
Add Onions, 1 tsp Brown Sugar, Garlic &
Thyme to the fat and cook over medium high heat until the Onions are soft and well
browned. (about 10 minutes)
Stir in the Flour and cook for 1
minute. Slowly whisk in the broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps, then
transfer to slow cooker.
Well, here is where I got concerned. A gooey mess. I did add just a bit of water. But I discovered it would obtain a nice gravy like consistency as it cooked so DON'T WORRY !!!!
Stir remaining Brown Sugar, Soy Sauce,
and Bay Leaves into Slow Cooker.
Season Pork Shops with Salt &
Pepper and nestle into slow cooker.
Cover and cook until pork is tender
(6-8 hours on LOW, 3 to 5 hours on HIGH)
Normally, this is where I would have a refreshing adult beverage and play with the dog.
But, I have to leave for my event, so no adult beverage until I get home.
You may want to rotate the chops in the
cooker every couple of hours. Penny is keeping an eye on things for us.
Doesn't that look DELICIOUS ??
I am back, and hungry. (Not to mention thirsty)
Transfer pork onto serving plate, cover
loosely with foil and let sit for 20 minutes.
Let Braising liquid sit for 5 minutes,
then remove fat from surface using large spoon.
Discard the Bay Leaves.
Stir in the Vinegar and Parsley and
season with Salt & Pepper to taste.
Spoon 1 Cup of the Sauce over chops and
serve with remaining sauce on the side.
Don't forget the Salad !!!!
RESULTS ::::
The pork fell right off the bone, and rated right up there with
Carolyn's Smothered Pork Shops.
This might be the easiest recipe I have made to date. It took about 20 minutes to throw together. While I had my geek on, Penny was kind enough to keep her eye on the slow cooker, and rotated the chops for me.
It made for a great dinner and enough left overs to send over to our cooking friend Dee. She loved them too.
And the football ?? As it turned out, I didn't miss the game. They had it on, out by the pool. After all, THIS IS GATOR COUNTRY.
Gators pulled away in the fourth quarter, (Thanks to the guys in stripes) and won 38-27.
Ball State was on ESPN PLUS (Greedy ESPN (*&%^) want you to pay to see it. (Hell, I wouldn't pay to see them play when I lived there.)
All in all, it was a great day. My teams won, and now I have MORE fish.....
Picture does not do them justice. The RED one was hiding
I hope you all like Pork Chops, 'cause next week I have another recipe I want to try.
And I owe you info on the left over Enchiladas. That's next on Kill It, Cut it up, and Cook it.
See you all next time.
And remember:
Live Long & Prosper
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