Smothered Pork Chops
(American Southern-Soul pork chops with onion gravy)
Image by Kent Wang
Smothered pork chops are an old-fashioned Southern favorite. It's a very easy dish to prepare and packed with tons of flavor. The onion gravy goes especially well with rice.
4 servings
Ingredients
- Pork chops -- 4
- Flour -- 1 cup
- Salt -- 1 tablespoon
- Black pepper -- 2 teaspoons
- Oil -- 3 to 4 tablespoons
- Onion, thinly sliced -- 1
- Garlic, minced -- 2 or 3 cloves
- Stock or water -- 2 cups
- Salt and pepper -- to taste
Method
- Lightly season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper. Dredge each pork chop on both sides in the flour, shaking off any extra flour. Set the pork chops aside and reserve the flour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Brown the pork chops on both sides and set aside.
- Add more oil to the skillet if necessary, reduce heat to medium-low and add the sliced onions and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are cooked down and beginning to brown, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the reserved flour over the onions, stir in well and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock or water to remove any lumps and bring to a boil to thicken. Add more stock or water if needed to keep the gravy from getting too thick. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat to low and add the pork chops back to the skillet, pressing down to immerse in the gravy. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with hot rice, grits or mashed potatoes.
Smothered Pork Chop Variations
- Cajun-Style Pork Chops: Saute 1 chopped bell pepper and 1 stalk of chopped celery with the onion. Add a pinch of thyme to the simmering gravy.
- Season the flour or gravy with garlic powder, seasoning salt, paprika, oregano, thyme or whatever other seasonings you prefer.
