Name: Slow-Cooker Smothered Pork Chops With Apples
Total time: 5 h
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 Golden Delicious apples , peeled, cored, and sliced ½ inch thick; 1 onion , halved and sliced ¼ inch thick; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 bay leaf; 2 (8- to 10-ounce) bone-in pork blade-cut chops , ¾ inch thick, trimmed; Salt and pepper; 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley; 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

We traded in the usual bacon and buttery gravy for Golden Delicious apples, which held their shape but became tender and saucy in the slow cooker. To deliver the best flavor, we sautéed the apples and onion until they were softened and caramelized and then created a thickened sauce with flour and a little bit of chicken broth. Worcestershire sauce tempered the sweetness of the apples and deepened the flavor of the sauce. To get the tender chops we wanted, ¾-inch blade-cut pork chops were crucial. Because they contain more fat than other center-cut chops, they could handle hours of braising in the slow cooker without drying out. We nestled the chops in the apple mixture, and the juices released by the cooking apples and onion braised the chops, adding deep flavor.

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe.

Instructions

1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add apples and onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir Worcestershire and bay leaf into slow cooker. Cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through fat on edges of each pork chop. Season chops with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until pork is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

Transfer chops to individual plates, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Using large spoon, skim fat from surface of sauce. Stir in parsley and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chops and serve.