Smothered Pork Chops

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Coconut oil (for greasing)
• 4 bone-in pork rib chops (approx. 8 oz / 227g each), 0.5 to 0.75-inch thick, trimmed
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1 slice bacon, cut into 0.25-inch pieces
• 2 large onions, halved and sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour
• 2 tbsp water
• 1.75 cups (14 fl oz / 414 ml) Beef Broth or Stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 0.25 tsp sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season them with pepper. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with coconut oil.
2. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the skillet.
3. Increase the heat for the bacon fat to high. Once it is just smoking, add the pork chops and brown them well on both sides, about 2 minutes total. Transfer the browned chops to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop (avoiding bone) registers 145°F (63°C).
5. While the pork is in the oven, reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the sliced onions and 0.25 tsp sea salt to the fat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, until the onions are soft.
6. Stir in the minced garlic and minced thyme, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in the 1.75 cups of beef broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Add the 2 bay leaves and the reserved cooked bacon to the broth. Carefully return the pork chops (and any juices from the baking sheet) to the skillet. Spoon onions and sauce over the chops.
8. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pork is very tender.
9. In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tbsp of tapioca flour with the 2 tbsp of water to create a slurry.
10. Transfer the cooked pork chops to a serving platter and tent them loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
11. Whisk the tapioca slurry into the sauce remaining in the skillet. Continue to simmer, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.
12. Remove and discard the 2 bay leaves. Taste the sauce and season with additional sea salt and pepper as needed. Spoon the thickened onion sauce over the pork chops and serve.