Crock Pot Good Gravy Pork Chops - Recipes That Crock! (2024)

FAQs

What liquid should I cook pork in? ›

Broth: You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth as the liquid in your slow cooker. The broth will add flavor to the pork and help to keep it moist.

Your liquid should not cover your pork in the slow cooker: it should only come up about a quarter of the way up the sides. The pork will make more liquid as it cooks, and you need to leave room for that.

You can overcook pork chops in the slow cooker, so it's important to use LOW heat. Even if you check early, with the way heat is distributed, if you cook the chops on HIGH they are likely to be dry.

Overcooked Pork Chops Are Tough

When they're cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they're quick to dry out, and — you guessed it — become tough, chewy, and less than appealing. This is partly due to carry-over cooking.

Braising takes pan-fried pork chops one delicious step further. Braising is also a forgiving cooking method. Because the chops finish by simmering in liquids, they won't dry out as easily. Just give them a quick high-heat sear in the skillet first.

Some of my favorite herbs, spices, and seasonings to use as a pork chop seasoning are cumin, garlic, paprika, and chili powder. Some others that go well with pork are sage, rosemary, cayenne, thyme, and coriander. Brown sugar and clove are a great way to add in some sweetness.

Consider Brining

While a simple brine of water and salt will do the trick, you can also use the brining stage to impart extra flavor with sugar and seasonings. Just be careful not to brine too long (two to four hours should do the trick) and rinse the pork before cooking.

Acids like citrus juices, vinegars, and wines are common in many pork marinade recipes. For instance, it's not uncommon to see red wine paired with soy sauce and other ingredients (like brown sugar) as a pork marinade.

Close the Proofer and allow the pork to cook for a total of 10 or 11 hours. Midway during the slow cook process you can turn the pork over once. After 10 hours check the interior of the pork with a thermometer. We recommend a temperature of 195-200 °F / 90-93 °C for tender, juicy pork which pulls apart easily.

Can You Put Raw Meat in the Slow Cooker? It is safe to add raw meat to a crock pot or slow cooker if it will be cooked through completely. Tough cuts like pot roast, pork shoulder, and stew meat can be browned first and then cooked through in the cooker or simply added to the crock pot.

Do potatoes go on top or bottom of meat in crockpot? ›

Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top. Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models).

Typically, when we cook at high temperature, we over cook the pork. This leaves it dry and tough. As with my dad's pork chops, grilling is a high temperature cooking method. While I recommend cooking low and slow, I emphasize the word slow.

Cooking a lean roast like pork tenderloin in a slow cooker is tricky because it can quickly turn overcooked and dry. We discovered that nestling two tenderloins side by side, alternating the narrow and thicker ends, helped to insulate the meat and prevented it from overcooking.

While there are a number of ways to cook pork chops for dinner, baking is arguably the easiest path to perfection. The hands-off cooking method cooks pork chops gently and evenly without the need for extra fat, resulting in juicy, healthier pork chops that pair well with practically any side dish.

A brine is essentially just salt and water. It helps prevent moisture loss during cooking, and the salt also helps tenderize the meat from the inside out. If you want an extra juicy piece of pork, brine it before cooking. You can make an effective brine just with salt and water, but additional seasonings do help.

Let it rest

Easy and simple: Let the pork chops rest for at least 10 minutes, covered, before slicing them up. The juices will redistribute back into the meat to keep them flavorful, tender and juicy.