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Slow-Cooker Smothered Pork Chops

By Natalie Estrada

Published on October 15, 2019

Time

5 hours on low

Yield

Serves 6

Slow-Cooker Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt 2 teaspoons paprika 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder 1 ½ teaspoons pepper 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 6 (8- to 10-ounce) bone-in blade-cut pork chops ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed½ cup vegetable oil, divided3 cups thinly sliced onions ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups water 1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar

Before You Begin

Bottled preground pepper is bland and dusty, so for the best results, grind your own peppercorns. Be sure to use blade-cut pork chops in this recipe; they have enough fat to keep them from drying out over the prolonged cooking time. If you don't have Lawry's Seasoned Salt on hand, you can mix your own by combining ¼ teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon table salt, and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic. (This will give you an extra teaspoon of spice blend; it's great sprinkled on eggs or sandwiches.) Serve the chops and gravy with steamed white rice or egg noodles. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

Instructions

  1. Combine seasoned salt, paprika, onion powder, pepper, and granulated garlic in bowl. Pat chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with 2 tablespoons spice mixture. Transfer chops to slow cooker.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Scatter onions evenly over chops in slow cooker.
  3. Whisk flour and remaining 6 tablespoons oil together in now-empty skillet. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until roux is color of peanut butter, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Slowly whisk water into roux mixture until gravy is smooth and free of lumps. Bring to boil, then pour gravy over chops and onions in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chops are tender, about 5 hours on low.
  5. Carefully transfer chops to platter (chops will be delicate and may fall apart). Using wide spoon, skim fat from surface of gravy. Stir vinegar into gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy over chops on platter. Serve.
Slow-Cooker Smothered Pork Chops
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Slow-Cooker Smothered Pork Chops

Save

Time

5 hours on low

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
6 (8- to 10-ounce) bone-in blade-cut pork chops ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed
½ cup vegetable oil, divided
3 cups thinly sliced onions
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
6 (8- to 10-ounce) bone-in blade-cut pork chops ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed
½ cup vegetable oil, divided
3 cups thinly sliced onions
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
6 (8- to 10-ounce) bone-in blade-cut pork chops ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed
½ cup vegetable oil, divided
3 cups thinly sliced onions
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar

Why This Recipe Works

To get the most out of our slow-cooker smothered pork chops, we turned to a classic Southern ingredient: Lawry's Seasoned Salt. We reinforced the flavors by adding more paprika and garlic to the seasoning blend. Instead of using a lean cut of pork such as pork loin roast, we relied on bone-in pork blade chops for their connective tissue and ability to withstand a prolonged cooking time. We began by seasoning our chops with a portion of the spice blend and then transferring them to the slow cooker. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, we sautéed onions until they were soft and then added them to the slow cooker with the chops. Afterward, we created a peanut butter—colored roux and bloomed our reserved spice mixture. Once the chops were cooked, we finished our gravy with a hit of cider vinegar for brightness to balance out the richness.

Before You Begin

Bottled preground pepper is bland and dusty, so for the best results, grind your own peppercorns. Be sure to use blade-cut pork chops in this recipe; they have enough fat to keep them from drying out over the prolonged cooking time. If you don't have Lawry's Seasoned Salt on hand, you can mix your own by combining ¼ teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon table salt, and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic. (This will give you an extra teaspoon of spice blend; it's great sprinkled on eggs or sandwiches.) Serve the chops and gravy with steamed white rice or egg noodles. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

Instructions

  1. Combine seasoned salt, paprika, onion powder, pepper, and granulated garlic in bowl. Pat chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with 2 tablespoons spice mixture. Transfer chops to slow cooker.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Scatter onions evenly over chops in slow cooker.
  3. Whisk flour and remaining 6 tablespoons oil together in now-empty skillet. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until roux is color of peanut butter, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining spice mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Slowly whisk water into roux mixture until gravy is smooth and free of lumps. Bring to boil, then pour gravy over chops and onions in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chops are tender, about 5 hours on low.
  5. Carefully transfer chops to platter (chops will be delicate and may fall apart). Using wide spoon, skim fat from surface of gravy. Stir vinegar into gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy over chops on platter. Serve.

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