Truth be told, my mom’s Braised Pork Chops are the best I’ve ever had. I’ve had fried pork chops with gravy. I’ve had pork chops stuffed with things like pancetta and sage, or andouille sausage dressing. I’ve even had fancy pork chops in a fancy restaurant that cost nearly $40. I’ve had good pork chops, but none as good as these.
My sister and I were talking about these pork chops the other day. We sat in the kitchen doing homework many times while our mom made Braised Pork Chops for dinner. My sister and I both make them now. Mom used to put cubed potatoes in with the other vegetables, but we’ve both migrated to serving them over mashed potatoes. We’ve learned that mashed potatoes are the perfect vehicle for getting every last drop of the delicious vegetables and broth into our mouths. I’m not 100% sure Mom added the beef consommé, but I’ve been adding it for upwards of 20 years, so I put it in the recipe.
For something so tasty, you won’t believe how easy Braised Pork Chops are to make. First, get your hands on some bone-in pork chops. Half-inch thick pork chops are fine, the ones labeled “thin” are not–they fall apart. Did you see that I said bone-in? You’re definitely going to want bone-in pork chops.
Brown them quickly in a Dutch oven in batches. Once a batch is well browned, remove to a plate and set aside while you brown the rest. Once you’ve browned all the chops, put all of them in the pot. Add the rest of the ingredients on top. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer slowly for an hour. The lower the simmer, the more tender the pork chops. You may want to check a few times to make sure the braising liquid isn’t boiling.
While the pork chops are simmering, make them a lovely, cushy bed of Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. Since I want maximum broth (for health reasons, of course), I serve the pork chops and vegetables over the mashed potatoes in a soup plate.
Yum! Braised Pork Chops!
The Very Best Braised Pork Chops
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large skillet with a lid
Ingredients
Per 4 large or 8 small pork chops:
- Oil for browning
- 1 Medium onion, sliced
- 1 Large or 2 medium carrots, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 15 oz. Can of diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 Can beef consommé
- 1 T. Steak sauce (A-1 or similar)
- 1 t. Ground pepper
- 2 T. Parsley flakes
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- On the stovetop, and working in batches, quickly brown the chops over medium heat. As the the pork chops brown, remove to a plate and set aside.
- Return all of the pork chops to the pot and add any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add the rest of the ingredients on top of the pork chops.
- Turn the heat very low, cover, and cook for an hour or until chops and vegetables are very tender.
Are the instructions missing a step between #1 and #2?
I’m sorry if the instructions were unclear. Actually, no, no steps are missing. Just brown the pork chops in batches, return all pork chops to the pot and put all the other ingredients on top of them, turn the heat very low, put the lid on the pot and cook for an hour. Does that help?