San Francisco Pork Chops

The following recipe for San Francisco Pork Chops was submitted by Susan Husband, from Sole Searching, in honor of the upcoming feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  Thank you Susan! 

SAN FRANCISCO PORK CHOPS

6 1" thick pork loin chops (sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and onion powder)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sherry cooking wine (or you may use red wine or chicken broth)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned pork loin chops on both sides, and transfer to a slow cooker set on low. Reduce the skillet heat to low, and add the garlic to the pan drippings. Stir for 1 minute or until the garlic is golden. Add soy sauce, wine or broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes, and continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the skillet mixture over the pork, coating well. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. (If I'm home, I like to baste the meat a few times during the day to keep the chops moist.)

About 30-45 minutes before you are ready to serve: Remove the chops from the slow cooker and place on a platter, then cover with foil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water until smooth. At this point, if you like a smooth gravy/sauce, you can strain out the bits of meat in the liquid. Then, add the cornstarch and water mixture gradually to the liquid, stirring well. If you plan to serve the gravy separate, keep foil wrapped meat warm in a low temp oven while the sauce thickens in the crock-pot. Otherwise, place the chops back into the crock-pot and continue to cook for 30-45 minutes until the sauce is thickened. If it is too thick, don't panic! You can thin it down with a bit of chicken broth or water, until the right consistency is reached.

Serve over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans or asparagus. Delish!

Note: A little Catholic Geography over supper - talk about cities in the United States that are named after Saints (San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Antonio, St. Paul, St. Louis, etc.). San Francisco is named after St. Francis of Assisi!