RECIPE: Smart shortcuts for smothered pork chops

Saucy smothered pork chops are a great comfort food in the depths of winter. But like most braised dishes, they’re a challenge to pull off on a weeknight. Typical recipes call for pork shoulder chops, which require a couple of hours of cooking to turn tender. The oniony gravy used for smothering the chops likewise benefits from this long-cooked, richly flavored braising liquid.

The first step to shortening the recipe is to choose a different chop. Pork loin chops, unlike shoulder chops, need only a few minutes of cooking. Simply season, dredge in flour and brown for a few minutes in butter to develop a flavorful fond. At this point, the chops will be close to, but not fully, cooked. Take them out of the skillet to prevent overcooking while you work on the gravy.

Another smart shortcut is to use a bag of frozen chopped onions instead of fresh onions to prepare the gravy. The water they release when cooking is relatively sugary; this will brown quickly in the hot skillet and help build deeper flavor. For the gravy’s liquid component, stir a couple tablespoons of miso paste into chicken broth for salty, complex umami. The flour left in the skillet from the chops is enough to lightly thicken the gravy; no need to whisk together a roux. Once you’re satisfied with the gravy, you can add the pork chops back in for a short simmer to cook through.