Smothered Pork Chops And Grits Recipes

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS AND GRITS

Steps:

• 1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook until browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• 2. Add the red onions to the skillet and season with salt. Cook, stirring until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium; stir in the flour and cook, stirring 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf. Cook, stirring until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir well and return the pork to the skillet to heat through.
• 3. Meanwhile, bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the grits and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese.
• 4. Remove the pork from the skillet, discard the bay leaf and stir in the parsley in the pan sauce. Serve the pork with the grits. Top with the pan sauce and garnish with more parsley.

CHEF JOHN'S SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Sprinkle pork chops with poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper on both sides. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; brown pork chops well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Discard excess grease from pan and melt butter in the same skillet. Reduce heat to medium and stir onion in the hot skillet with a pinch of salt until onion is very browned and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute; stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour chicken broth into skillet and stir, dissolving browned bits of food in the bottom of the skillet. Pour juices that have accumulated on plate containing pork chops into the sauce. Mix in buttermilk until smooth. Add water. Bring sauce to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until onions begin to break down and sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place pork chops into sauce, spooning sauce over meat to coat. Turn heat to low and simmer until chops are tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Adjust levels of salt and pepper and serve chops with gravy on top.

SAGE PORK CHOPS WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE GRITS

Steps:

• For the cheese grits: Stir together 2 cups of the chicken stock and the cream in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over high heat. Stir in the garlic, thyme leaves and 1 teaspoon salt until the salt dissolves. Rain in the grits, stir well and let them come to a simmer. Once you reach a simmer, reduce the heat to low and stir every 2 minutes, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom. The grits will take about 20 minutes, so while they're cooking, let's make the pork chops.
• For the pork chops: Pat the pork chops dry, season generously with salt and pepper and rub with the sage. Place the cornstarch on a large plate for dredging.
• Heat a large 9- to 11-inch skillet over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the olive oil and swirl to hit all sides. Give the chops a quick dredge in the cornstarch on both sides and carefully place down and away from you in the skillet. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the chops over and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chops to a large plate while you finish the sauce.
• Turn the heat to high and add the broth and apple juice to the skillet. Bring to a boil while stirring and scraping up all the delicious brown bits from the skillet. Once the liquid reduces by about a quarter, about 2 minutes, turn down the heat to a low simmer, then stir in the heavy cream and butter. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed. Return the chops to the skillet, cover, and cook until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, 2 to 4 minutes.
• After simmering the grits for about 20 minutes, taste to make sure they are soft and the raw corn taste has cooked out. Grate the cheese on the large holes of a box grater. Stir the cheese into the grits until melted, taste again and add up to 1 cup of the remaining chicken stock as needed if the mixture is too stiff. Add any additional seasoning as necessary. Pour the cheese grits onto a large platter with medium sides. Top with the pork chops and spoon over the pan sauce. Garnish with the scallions.