Dear Slow Cooker:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Pork chops with homemade BBQ sauce...
Okay kids, here's a super-dee-duper easy recipe for some DELISH pork chops that absolutely fall off the bone and will force you to go back for seconds. All you need is a crock-pot and a few basic pantry staples. Thanks once again to my favorite slow-cooker edition of Taste of Home magazine from last summer. Yum.
-- 4 bone-in pork loin chops (8 oz each)
-- 1 tsp garlic powder
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp pepper
--2 Tbsp canola oil/olive oil
--2 cups ketchup
--1/2 cup packed brown sugar
--1 tsp hickory-seasoned Liquid Smoke
**You may want to just go ahead and double this recipe. It's that good.
First, try to remember to thaw your pork chops the day before, so that you don't suddenly get to 2pm and discover that they are still frozen. (Hence, I just ate dinner at 9:30pm. Still good.) Hot water to the rescue - it takes just as long to thaw them in the microwave, and who wants to ruin perfectly good pork chops by thawing in a microwave??!
Sprinkle the pork chops with garlic powder, salt & pepper. Seriously, I don't bother with the measurements. Just season both sides of each pork chop & call it good. It WILL be good. I promise.
In a large skillet, brown chops in oil on both sides. Drain. (I use olive oil for everything...it tastes better than canola oil & is a smidge healthier, too.)
In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar & Liquid Smoke. Pour half of the sauce into a 3-qt slow cooker. Top with pork chops and remaining sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Or longer, if you have to go to church in the middle of your cook time. Mine cooked from 3pm to 9pm and they were still amazing.
By the time these puppies (piggies?) are done, you will need tongs, or a large spoon at the very least, to remove them from the crockpot. Don't even bother with a fork - they are so tender, they fall apart the second you touch them.
One question: WHY have I only just discovered this Liquid Smoke stuff? It is amazing. (If you've never used it before, it's over with the sauces in the grocery store). I keep trying to find excuses to use it.
Put these on your menu for next week with some mashed potatoes and a green salad, and you're good to go.
(Bonus: Fast "smashed" potatoes: Grab a handful of new potatoes - or red potatoes. Stab 'em with a fork, throw in the microwave for 4-5 mins til fork tender, then smash them up into chunks and load with butter, pepper & garlic salt. Easy, quick, yum. Thank you, Pioneer Woman, for this life-changing little twist on mashed potatoes.)
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