Crock Pot Smothered

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon cut into ½-inch slices
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar divided
• 6 bone-in blade-cut, 1-inch thick pork chops about 8-ounces each.
• Use pork steaks if blade-cut pork chops aren’t available.
• 3 yellow onions halved and sliced into ½-inch half-moons
• ¼ cup water plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Recommended Equipment

• Crockpot (click for my favorite)

Instructions

1. Spray a slow-cooker with nonstick cooking spray and set temperature to LOW.
2. Place bacon in a medium-size, cold skillet set over medium heat. Cook the bacon just until it starts to crisp. Transfer bacon, leaving fat in the pan, to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
3. While bacon cooks, add chicken broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, bay leaves and 1-tablespoon brown sugar to the slow-cooker insert and cover with the lid.
4. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel and season with salt & pepper. After the bacon has cooked, place 3 chops in the same saucepan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to the slow-cooker and repeat the process with the remaining 3 pork chops.
5. Add onions, 1½ teaspoons brown sugar, ¼ cup water, 1-teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper to the skillet. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan and cook (stirring often), over medium heat, until onions soften, about 6 minutes.
6. Add garlic and thyme and cook an additional 30 seconds.
7. Pour the onion mixture over the pork-chops in the slow-cooker.
8. Cover the slow-cooker and cook, on LOW, until the chops/pork steaks are very tender, about 6-8 hours (or on HIGH 3-4 hours).
9. When ready to serve, transfer chops to a serving dish and cover loosely with foil. Let the chops rest 5 minutes.
10. Discard bay leaves from the sauce and use a large spoon the skim the fat from the surface of the sauce.
11. Add the vinegar and parsley, season with salt and pepper and stir well.
12. Spoon 1 cup of sauce over the chops and sprinkle with the bacon. Ladle the remaining sauce into a serving bowl and serve with the chops.
13. Enjoy!