Saucy Slow Cooker Pork Chops

No matter the time of year, damp, windy days call for comfort foods like our saucy slow cooker pork chops.

Pork is a great source of nutrients important to health--thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, phosphorus, protein, zinc and potassium. And while some cuts of pork chops can be high in fat, a lean chop, such as sirloin, or top loin, is the basis for a healthy meal.

All it takes is a quick browning of the pork chops in the skillet and a few minutes to sauté the onions and garlic; then place in the slow cooker with the other ingredients and you are good to go.

Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Cooking time: 4 to 8 hours
Total time: 4 ½ to 8 ½ hours

INGREDIENTS

• 6 bone-in top sirloin or sirloin pork chops (about 7 ounces total weight with each yielding about 3 ounces of meat)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Handful chopped parsley for garnish
• FOR SAUCE: 1/4 cup water or chicken broth; 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pat pork chops dry with paper towel and sprinkle both sides with black pepper.
2. Add olive oil to large, 12-inch skillet and heat to medium high.
3. Sauté half the pork chops on each side 2 to 3 minutes until lightly brown. Place in crock pot then sauté remaining pork chops and add to crock pot.
4. Turn heat to medium and add sliced onion, garlic and ½ cup of the chicken broth to the skillet and simmer a few minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen the flavorful brown bits left from sautéing the pork chops.
5. Stir in the remaining 2 ½ cups of chicken broth, the thyme, soy sauce, bay leaves, cornstarch and apple cider vinegar until blended.
6. Pour the onion-chicken broth mixture over the pork chops in the slow cooker and cover.
7. Cook on low about 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, until pork chops are very tender and bones practically fall off the meat (bone tender!).
8. Remove pork chops to plate and cover with aluminum foil while sauce is prepared:
   
   Sauce
   a. The “sauce” in the crockpot will be of a broth consistency due to the condensation created during the cooking process. To thicken, pour the sauce with onions into 2-quart saucepan. Blend 1/4 cup water or chicken broth with 1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch until blended.
   b. Heat sauce over medium high heat until it starts to boil; reduce heat to medium and stir in water-cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly while sauce simmers for one or two minutes until it thickens.
   c. Spoon sauce over pork chops, garnish with parsley, if desired.
   
   
   Serves 6.

Nutritional Information
Per one pork chop served with ½ cup sauce: 278.5 calories; 17.4g total fat (5.3g saturated fat, 1.6g polyunsaturated fat, 8.9g monounsaturated fat); 445.8g sodium; 69.7mg cholesterol; 6.3g carbohydrate; 0.5g fiber; 2.6g sugars; 23.3g protein; 503.3mg potassium.