Braised Pork Chops with Citrus Glaze
This recipe is featured in "Keepers: Two Home Cooks Share Their Tried-and-True Weeknight Recipes and Secrets to Happiness in the Kitchen"
Topped with meltingly soft onions and a tangy-sweet glaze that Caroline claims is better than ice cream, these chops are hard to resist. The relatively fatty blade chop is the best type to use here, but rib chops are fine, too. Just avoid the leaner loin chops, as well as cooking the meat too fast, which will toughen it–or too long, which will dry it out.
- Servings 4
Ingredients
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil
- Four bone-in pork chops about ¾ inch thick, patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 sprig rosemary or 1 scant teaspoon dried
- 59 ml (¼ cup) packed dark brown sugar
- 177 ml (¾ cup) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 slices
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
Preparation
1. In a large high-sided sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes more.
2. Scatter the onions and garlic around the chops, then nestle the rosemary sprig into the onions (or, if using dried rosemary, sprinkle on top). Sprinkle the brown sugar over all, add the broth, and top each chop with 2 lemon slices. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer gently until the pork is almost cooked through, but still pink, about 10 minute.
3. Transfer the chops to plates or a platter, leaving the onions and lemons in the pan. Briskly simmer the liquid, scraping up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan, until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, discard the rosemary sprig (if using) and stir in the butter. Check the seasonings. Serve the chops topped with the sauce, onions, and lemon slices. (Feel free to eat the slices, which break down and mellow during cooking.)
