Monday, December 15, 2014

Chef John Recipe Test: Smothered Pork Chops

I've been really lucky.  I try a lot of recipes, and I tend to be quite pleased with the results.  If you read my blog often, you probably think that I love every recipe I make.  This one left me feeling quite "meh," which is a surprise since I thought Chef John is god's gift to pork chops.  I crave his Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze all the time.  So here's this recipe.  Take it or leave it with my thoughts.  I don't think I'll make it again, but perhaps it's something that will look like your cup of tea.

You can find the original recipe here:
Smothered Pork Chops

It's all quite simple prep.  Only changes: I made two very thick chops instead of four.  I also omitted the buttermilk since I don't tend to feel so well after dairy.  Instead of buttermilk, I used the entire 14.5 oz. can of chicken broth and the gravy consistency was fine.  Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly.  Like the Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze, it took longer than anticipated to get the sauce to reduce enough.

The onions caramelized quickly and nicely.  At this point, I thought it was going to be a winner.

Took longer than expected to reduce.  

Chops in to coat and get warmed through while gravy finished reducing.  At this point, it didn't look so bad.

Enter "cat vomit" appearance with the translucent gravy.  See below.

This angle didn't make it look any tastier.  Nor did the sharpening in Instagram.
 
The final product was a bit "old person food"-ish.  I will say that the onion had mellowed quite nicely.  But otherwise, it was bland and unappealing looking.  When I instagram-ed the final products, one of my girlfriends said my dinner looked like cat vomit.  (Insert sad face here.)

Yes, my dinner was called "cat vomit."  She kind of has a point though.  This one isn't a looker.


For a juicy pork chop and some smooth tasting onions, this will do.  I'd punch it up with some more poultry seasoning and pepper if I had to make it again, and even consider dropping in a spring of herbs like thyme or a bay leaf.  Anything to amp up the taste.  The appearance of the plate won't change though.  Perhaps less gravy on the pork chop would help lessen the "cat vomit" look, with the remainder served on the side for ladling on as you go.  I served this with roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots, which were a nice accompaniment.  The crisp edges made a nice contrast against the softness of the onions in the gravy.

I'll post something else soon that's a bit better than this one, or show you what it's like to make the Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze.  That recipe's a winner.

Insider tip: if these are the flavors you like, make this alone.  Your date probably won't be impressed since this dish isn't a looker.  This wasn't an epic fail like the time I made cheeseburger soup (it was gross), but it left me disappointed.  Which is too bad since I have two other ways I make these giant pork chops that are almost $5 each, and both of those preparations are fantastic.