Published November 1, 2002.
To perfect our smothered pork chop recipe, we determined that bone-in, rib-end pork chops were the most juicy and flavorful. Further, we found that thin, 1/2-inch chops picked up more flavor than thick chops and didn't overwhelm the gravy. The best cooking method was to sear the chops in bacon fat, then braise them (30 minutes turned them tender and succulent) in an onion gravy thickened with a bacon fat and flour roux; the sweet, salty, smoky flavor of the roux underscored and deepened all of the other flavors in our smothered pork chops recipe.
Make sure to use low-sodium chicken broth in this recipe; regular chicken broth can result in an over seasoned sauce. Serve smothered chops with a starch to soak up the rich gravy. Simple egg noodles were the test kitchen favorite, but rice or mashed potatoes also taste great.
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