Braised Pork Chops (with Onions & Ale)
Braised pork loin chops in sweet Belgian beer (or apple cider) and onions. Consider adding dried figs to the braising liquid to impart deeper sweetness. The flavors are rounded off in the end by adding some vinegar or mustard or both, just after the sauce is thickened with a slurry.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 494kcal
Ingredients
PORK CHOPS
- 4 pork loin chops 1 inch thick
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2-3 onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup dried figs thinly sliced OR 2 tablespoon brown sugar*
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme picked leaves only
- 1 cup pale Belgian ale** such as trippel, Belgian strong or saison
- ½ tablespoon corn starch + 1 tablespoon cold water mixed together slurry
- ½ to 1 teaspoon white wine or apple cider vinegar
Brine*** (Optional but highly recommended)
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt heaping
Instructions
BRINE
- Prepare a brine (optional) by bringing the water to a boil and stirring in the sugar and salt. Remove from heat and add about 2 cups of ice to the liquid. Place chops in it. Brine refrigerated for 2 to 12 hours.
How To Cook
- When ready to cook, pat dry the pork chops and generously season on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each one in flour, shake off excess and set aside.
- Over high heat heat a heavy bottomed skillet, melt butter, add cooking oil and sear the floured pork chops for 3-4 mins per side. Remove them from the skillet, set aside and lower the heat to medium.
- Add the sliced onions, figs, thyme and salt and pepper to taste to the skillet. Stir nicely and let cook down for about 8-10 mins.
- Deglaze the skillet with just a bit of the beer at first, scraping off brown bits from the bottom. Then add all the beer and stir everything together.
- Place the pork chops on top of the onions, cover and simmer on medium for 10 to 12 mins or until the internal temperature of the chops reaches 145 F and the chops are springy when pressed upon. Be careful to not overcook them - they will become tough.
- Move the cooked pork chops to a serving dish. Add the slurry to the braising liquid and onions and stir to thicken. Add about 1 tablespoon of butter to create a silkier sauce (optional).
- Remove from the heat and add vinegar or stir in some Dijon mustard (optional).
- Smother the chops in the serving dish with the onions and the gravy or simply add back the pork chops to the skillet, cover with gravy and serve.
Video
Notes
*The figs melt into the braising liquid and infuse it with their concentrated sweetness. If you don't have any handy add the brown sugar instead.
**You can substitute with cider, but in that case substitute the figs with a sliced apple. Do not add any sugar when using cider. You could also use beef stock and mushrooms as a substitute combo.
***Brining the pork chops ensures that the meat remains moist during the cooking process and is more tender.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1391mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g
