Friday, February 24, 2012

Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops

This slow cooker pepper pork chops recipe is one of the best recipes for pork chops I've found. I am always looking for something delicious to create in my new slow cooker that my son, Steven, presented me with this past Christmas. What an awesome gift that was!!! I love my slow cooker.

It's a surprise to find a recipe for pork chops that suit the slow cooker. I am amazed with this recipe. It's not just me that's happy. This spicy pork chop recipe that makes my slow cooker dance with joy. It's a real treat!

Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops

Ingredients:
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1 lb. ice
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) bone-in pork chops
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces dried apple slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, julienned
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:
Combine the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup kosher salt, brown sugar and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat and add the ice. Place the pork chops into a 2-gallon zip-top bag along with the mixture and seal. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the chops from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Season on both sides with the kosher salt and set aside.

Place the apples in the slow cooker.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch stainless steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once browned, place the pork chops into the slow cooker atop the apples.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan followed by the onions and saute until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze. Add the black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Transfer this to the slow cooker, set to high, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Decrease the heat to low and continue cooking for another 4 hours and 30 minutes or until the pork is tender and falling away from the bone.

Serving Size: 4

Recipe By: FoodNetwork.com


Nutritional Information: Calories: 347; Total Fat 17 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 24 grams; Total carbohydrates: 24 grams; Sugar: 18 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Cholesterol: 77 milligrams; Sodium: 4,150 milligrams

That's it for today, blog.