Maple Braised Pork Chops

Notice that there is a print icon at the bottom of the page! I am very impressed with myself for figuring this out.  My husband has said from the beginning that it would be so much better if you could print the recipes and I am glad that i finally got around to getting it figured out. also notice that you can easily delete my jibber- jabber from the printed recipe as well as the images by clicking a box at the top of the print page.

I took a little break from the blog because my brother got married last weekend and things have been a little hectic around the house. All are back to normal now and therefor I'm back in the kitchen! I found some boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale and bought a family pack. I will use most of them to make a Chicken and Artichoke Casserole later in the week and save whatever is left over to throw onto a homemade pizza or grill for ceasar salads. I got the inspiration for the casserole from the meal served at my new sister-in-law's bridesmaid's luncheon. I don't think that it will be anything super exciting but hopefully will fit the criteria of a good, easy and healthy meal.
About the pork chops...This is a slow cooker recipe so needs to be prepared 4 to 6 hours ahead of time. I really love this recipe. The sauce is sweet, salty, tangy, and spicy all at the same time and the chops are unbelievable tender! I sincerely hope that you'll give this one a try.  You could very easily serve this on the weekend or for company because it feels a little more special than your average week night dish although it is still easy to make. We served ours over mashed sweet potatoes (i just mashed them with some of the chicken stock and some salt and poured the maple sauce on top) and had roasted asparagus (toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and throw into a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes).  this recipe would also be great with a spinach salad.

Maple Braised Pork Chops-(serves 4) This recipe has been modified slightly from the Williams Sonoma Slow Cooker Cookbook. definitely do not use thin chops for this recipe. Also, I use REAL maple syrup as the recipe calls for. It is a lot more expensive but we use syrup so rarely and I don't like the fake stuff. Substitute Mrs. Butterworth's at your own risk!

pork chops and sauce before cooking

Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 bone-in pork loin chops, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

 Generously salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil.  cook the pork chops until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Add the onion and saute until soft, then add the garlic, chile powder, and cayenne to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir for one minute.  Pour in the broth and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the maple syrup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Transfer the chops to a slow cooker and pour the sauce on top.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

dinner!