Get the Recipe: Smothered Pork Chops
Bone-in pork chops, rubbed with a spice mix, then pan-seared and finished in the oven. The rich brown onion gravy finished it off beautifully. Classic comfort food with lots of gravy for the mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Rub:
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the pork chops:
- olive oil, for frying pork chops
- 2-3 bone-in pork chops, *see Note 1 below
For the onion gravy:
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f., adjust to taste *see Note 2
- fresh thyme leaves, or dried thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (regular bake setting - adjust as needed for convection or fan-assisted).
- Combine 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika), 1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl and stir together. Rub onto both sides of the 2-3 bone-in pork chops (*see Note 1 below).
- Heat the olive oil (for frying pork chops) in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until golden underneath, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side until golden, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the skillet with the pork chops to the preheated oven and cook the pork chops until cooked to 145F internal temperature, about 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your pork chops.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the pork chops to a plate. Loosely tent the pork with aluminum foil.
- Remove all but 2 Tablespoons of drippings from the pan. (If you don't have 2 Tablespoons of drippings in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pan instead). Set the pan on the stovetop over medium to medium-high heat and add the 1 small onion (thinly sliced). Cook the onion, stirring regularly, until browned, then add the 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced). Cook, stirring, for 30-45 seconds. Add the 1 Tablespoon butter and stir to melt, then sprinkle in the 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Cook the flour, stirring, for about 1 minute.
- Add 1 1/2 cups beef broth, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard to the skillet and stir in. Allow the mixture to simmer to thicken and reduce, about 1-2 minutes.
- Lower the heat under the skillet slightly and add 1/4-1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (35% b.f., adjust to taste *see Note 2) and fresh thyme leaves (or dried thyme leaves). (Avoid boiling the sauce after adding the cream.)
- Return the pork chops to the pan briefly to rewarm. Taste the sauce and add additional salt and pepper, as needed. Serve and enjoy!
Use a skillet that can go from the stovetop to the oven, such as a cast iron skillet, an enamelled cast iron skillet or a stainless steel skillet. This will also help to create the lovely browned bits that will make for a rich gravy.
Having all the ingredients for the onion gravy measured and ready makes things go much more smoothly, as the steps happen quickly!
Notes
Note 1: Thicker bone-in pork chops are recommended. You can use either pork loin or centre-cut bone-in pork chops. I prefer the centre-cut myself.
If you're starting with thin bone-in pork chops, you may be able to skip the oven part and simply cook the pork chops completely in the skillet on the stovetop. Be sure to flip often and test with an instant-read thermometer to ensure they are cooked to at least 145F internal temperature. The oven time is recommended for thicker pork chops, as they're difficult to cook thoroughly on the stovetop.
Note 2: Heavy whipping cream is recommended for the thickest sauce. You can adjust the amount to your taste. You could substitute a lower-fat cream such as 10% half-and-half cream if necessary. I would add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the half-and-half before adding to the sauce to help thicken the gravy a bit better.
Tips!
These pork chops are lovely served with creamy mashed potatoes to enjoy the lovely gravy. Add a green vegetable such as broccoli, broccolini or green beans to complete the meal.
While best enjoyed freshly cooked, you could make this ahead and refrigerate. Gently rewarm in the skillet over medium-low heat just until the pork chops are warmed through to avoid overcooking the pork.
Watch how to make it
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 367kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 1239mg, Potassium: 616mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 752IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 2mg
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