Chef John's Smothered Pork Chops

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Smothered pork chops are a delicious combo of tender pan-fried pork chops covered in a rich onion gravy; serve with mash for a satisfying Southern-style meal.

Ingredients

4 large bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup water

Directions

1 Gather all ingredients.
2 Sprinkle both sides pork chops with poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
3 Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add pork chops and brown well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Discard excess grease from the skillet.
4 Melt butter in the same skillet; reduce heat to medium. Add onion and pinch of salt; cook until onion is very browned and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
5 Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes.
6 Add chicken broth to the skillet; stir, scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
7 Pour any accumulated juices from the plate with pork chops into the sauce.
8 Stir in buttermilk until smooth.
9 Add water. Bring sauce to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until onions begin to break down and sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
10 Place pork chops in sauce; spoon sauce over top to coat.
11 Reduce heat to low; simmer until chops are tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Taste; adjust seasoning. Serve chops with gravy on top.