Pork Chops With Creole Onions and Pan Sauce |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 50 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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This is one of my dream-it-up recipes. I had some pork loin chops from a pork loin that I had had cut into chops on sale and an onion that I was worried would go bad before we got back from vacation. The preparation and cooking times are an estimate. The onion idea comes from a fast food restaurant that used to be in the area, Short Stop, that served Diablo Burgers: cheeseburgers with onions and bell peppers sauteed in butter and Tony's. I didn't have any bell pepper (plus I don't think it would have worked flavor-wise here). Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops (1/2-3/4 inch thick) |
1 -2 onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moon slices, half rings separated |
2 -3 tablespoons butter |
1/2-1 tablespoon creole seasoning (such as tony's) |
1/2 cup flour (for dredging, not self-rising) |
1/2-3/4 cup water |
Directions:
1. In your largest, widest NONSTICK skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat (I have a ten-level electric stove top - so I melt it on 8).
2. Once it bubbles, add in the onion. Stir-fry/saute the onion in the butter. The key here is to make the edges of the onion brown and crispy. If the onion starts to get too dark for you, you can turn down the heat, but the goal is for the onion to brown - not caramelize - but turn mahogany.
3. Once the onion is softened and brown, dredge the chops lightly in flour. You are not making chicken fried pork steak here, so lightly is the key (a fine dusting).
4. Scoot the onion to one side of the pan with a nonstick-skillet safe spatula and place chops in the pan. Sear both sides of the chops.
5. Meanwhile, on the other side of the skillet, sprinkle Tony's over the onions and toss lightly to spread that Creole-y goodness. If you wish to reduce the sodium, you can use Tony's more spice or one of the Creole seasoning recipes on 'Zaar.
6. Once pork chops are cooked through, pour water over the contents of the whole pan and let the skillet simmer until the water and browned bits form a yummy pan sauce of the consistency you wish.
7. Note: You are NOT making gravy. That is why you don't want to use self-rising flour or too much flour. A little dab will do 'ya.
8. Note Part 2: It is extremely important that all of this be done in a single skillet because otherwise the pan sauce won't have the mixture of the onion, butter, pork browned bits, and Creole Seasoning. An electric skillet on a fairly high setting should be okay, as well.
9. Note Part 3: I served this with one of my twice-baked potato OAMC concoctions, but I think the pan sauce would be good over mashed potatoes or rice.
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