Grandma's Pork Chops, with Potato Squash Medley and Green Beans

The joke in my family is that I cannot make a good pork chop.  Okay, it's not so much a joke as a cruel irony.  One of my favorite dishes growing up was my mom's pork chops.  They were just so tender and juicy.  I have tried many times to replicate this wonderful, seemingly easy home-cooked meal.  Usually it results in a pork chop that is so tough that we need to use the steak knives. 

Well, this weekend, after detailed discussion with my mom about everything from what to look for in the chops at the grocery to the amount of water to put in the pan, I finally made a pork chop that was falling off the bone and tender enough to be cut with a fork!  A major accomplishment!

First, it turns out that selecting a tender pork chop is easier said than done.  My grandmother used the thin-cut chops on the bone.  My mom speculates it is probably because they couldn't afford the thick-cut kind.  In any case, I think this is key to the success of these chops.  Also, slowcooking the meat on the bone probably adds to the great savory flavor of the resulting gravy or sauce.  You should look for a chop that looks "floppy" or "flimsy."  There should be some veining.  Basically, it should look like when you take the pork chop out of the packaging that it won't stand up on its own.

When you're ready to cook your pork chops, season both sides and then lightly flour it.  Too much flour will result in a slimy coating at the end (a mistake I have made before).  Just a dusting is really enough.  Then get the oil in your pot hot and sear both sides of the pork chops. 

When they are seared, add some water - just enough so that it is nearly covering (but not covering) the pork chops.  If you need to, "shingle" stack your pork chops in the pan so that they are leaning against each other.  (Think fallen over dominos.)

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least an hour and fifteen minutes, or more.  I cooked mine for an hour and a half, and they could have maybe gone even a little longer.  Note that the pork chops are not done when the meat is "done."  You are going to cook these until they are cooked, and then keep cooking them until they are tender.  This is my other cardinal mistake that I have made in the past.  I thought that when the meat was cooked that the pork chops were done.  Not so.

When the pork chops are tender, you can transfer them to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep hot.

Make your sauce.

I served this with a mixture of russet potatos, sweet potatos, and butternut squash, all cut into about one-inch cubes and roasted in a 400-degree oven for about 30 minutes with butter, salt, and pepper; and steamed green beans.

Bon appetite!