Smothered Pork Chops

Method

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1. Pat the chops dry. Mix half the salt with the pepper, paprika, garlic powder and the 60 g flour on a plate and press the chops into it, shaking off the excess.

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2. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chops for 3 minutes a side, until deep golden. They do not need to cook through. Move to a plate.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

3. Turn the heat to medium and cook the onions in the same pan for 10 minutes, stirring, until golden and soft. Add the garlic for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

4. Sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of flour and cook 1 minute, stirring.

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5. Whisk in the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and the remaining salt and bring to a simmer.

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6. Nestle the chops back into the pan and spoon the onions and gravy over them.

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7. Cover and simmer very gently for 20 minutes, until the chops reach 63°C / 145°F and are tender.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

8. Uncover and simmer 3 minutes to thicken the gravy, then scatter with parsley and serve.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Give the onions the full ten minutes. Their sweetness is the gravy.
• Simmer gently. A hard boil toughens the chops.
• Use bone-in chops. The bone keeps them moist during the long simmer.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried thyme at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Mashed potatoes
• Steamed rice
• Green beans

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat gently in the gravy. Freeze the chops in their gravy for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.