Bacon & Apple Smothered Pork Chops

Bacon. Apple. Pork. What’s not to love?

This recipe comes by way of Nom Nom Paleo.  It’s a good one and I made very few changes because it’s a good one.   The only problem with the pork was entirely my own.  I used boneless pork chops and I didn’t have the heat high enough to brown so that took too long and by the end, my chops were a bit dry. Definitely not fork-tender.  So, I would make sure you follow those two suggestions before you go off-recipe.

This is a solid recipe that we’ll revisit but I am going to start working on the sauce.  It is certainly not an issue with the recipe it will work perfectly as written. I just don’t love how arrowroot sauces get a little “slimy” or gelatinous.  So, this is an issue in all arrowroot sauces and one I’ll be working on getting to my taste standards.  The sauce is great hot. Once it sits a bit I just don’t like how it looks.  I know, I’m a snob.  But, there it is. I want is pretty and smooth forever.  So a tweaking I will go.

Until then, this recipe is full of all the flavors that make pork deeeee-licious!  Enjoy!

Bacon & Apple Smothered Pork Chops

Serves/ Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15  minutes

Cook/ Assembly Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into ¼ inch slices
• 2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp. anchovy paste
• 4 – ¾-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (about 2 lbs.)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Granny Smith or Empire are good choices)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs

Recipe:

Fry the bacon in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Once the bacon bits are crisp, remove them to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Reserve about two tablespoons of the bacon fat and over medium-low heat, whisk in the arrowroot powder. Keep whisking until you have a smooth browned roux. Pour in the broth and anchovy paste.  Stir until incorporated. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil. It will thicken in about three minutes. Remove from heat, cover the saucepan and set it aside.

Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.

Over medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of ghee in a large skillet. When the pan is hot, a flick of water will sizzle, add the pork chops. Cook for  1 minute on each side. They should bel golden-brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions and apple to the empty skillet. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for about five minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions are browned on the edges. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Return the pork chops to the skillet, and cover with the cooked onions and apple. Pour the roux onto the chops and add the thyme sprig.  Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Immediately, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 30 minutes.  The pork chops will be fork tender.

Top them with bacon bits, copious amounts of sauce, apples and onions. Serve and enjoy!