Braised pork chops

Heat 1 oz olive oil in a skillet over a medium heat and then add the pork chops. Cook for 4 minutes on each side until browned and season with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remainder of the olive oil to the skillet with the diced onions. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic cloves. Once the onions have softened, after around 5 minutes, add the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the pork chops back to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pan and reduce to a low heat and leave to simmer for 50 minutes, until the pork chops are fork tender. Serve warm alongside roast potatoes.

Tips & tricks

To cook the finest braised pork, firstly you’ll need to start with the right cut of meat. Though there are lots of different cuts of pork, braising works best with pork chops as it’s a tough cut with fat marbled through it. The fat is important for keeping the meat moist during the cooking process. If you’d like to braise other meats, you can also use short ribs or lamb shanks for braising. Whichever meat you opt for, try to use bone-in cuts, as it helps to create the most tender results.

Then you’ll need to source a flavorful liquid to cook the meat in. In the recipe above we’ve suggested using chicken broth as it pairs effortlessly with a wide variety of ingredients and imparts added umami flavor to the pork chops. You could also use other liquids like beer, wine, or coconut milk, however, depending on the final flavor you’d like to impart on your pork chops. Don’t skip the step of adding a few aromatics like onions, thyme, and garlic. These ingredients help to bring further flavor and aroma to the dish, and will give you the tastiest pork chops. Other aromatics you could consider adding include celery and carrots, and we’ve also featured Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard in the recipe above.

It’s really important to sear the pork chops first. Braising is essentially the method of using dry and moist heat to cook and comes from the French word braise, referring to food browned at high temperature. The initial browning seals in the juices of the meat, then the simmering in liquid tenderizes the meat. For more tips on how to perfect this part of the recipe follow our helpful guide on how to fry pork chops.

Once you’ve seared the pork chops, you can choose to either continue cooking them on the stove or opt to transfer the braised pork chops into the oven. If you’d prefer to use the oven, then cover the skillet and turn the oven to gas mark 3, 325°F/150°C fan (or 170°C conventional) and leave to cook slowly for one hour until tender.

What to serve them with

Braised pork chops are delicious alongside other comfort food favorites like roast potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes. Try creating zesty roasted lemon and garlic potatoes, or plating your pork chops up alongside warming honey-glazed carrots. For a festive side dish, apple and cranberry stuffing is ideal for a Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas get-together with friends and family.

Storage

Braised pork chops will keep for around three days in the fridge if stored correctly in an airtight container. When reheating in the oven, cover the pork chops with foil to prevent the meat drying out.