Crockpot Pork Chops

As a kid, my mom served pork chops quite often.  I remember her buying large value packs of pork chops, dividing them into individual meal portions for the freezer.  She would pull out a pack, defrost them, and usually serve them panfried with a vegetable and a starch on the side.  It made for a quick dinner.  I haven’t followed suit with pork chops, primarily because I often find them quite dry, and the effort to find a butcher to make extra thick pork chops and then brine them is something I’m likely to do about once a year.  However, the other day when I was at the market, I decided that I should use my favorite appliance for pork, the crockpot, and see if slow, low heat would treat this cut a bit better and make it tasty.  Taking inspiration from crockpot chicken cacciatore, I like the chops, de-boned and shredded and served as a sauce.  You can leave them whole if you like.  I served this with brown rice which was a good vehicle for the sauce from the pork chops and steamed broccoli. You can also serve this over cauliflower rice if you are eating lower carb.  Read the blow-by-blow of how this came together, and additional tips to deal with rising food prices.

Crockpot Pork Chops

About 2.5-3 pounds pork chops (I like bone-in)
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 oz. mushroom, sliced (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 small can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 t dried basil
1 bay leaf
crushed red pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 cup of water

In a crockpot, layer the pork chops and vegetables through the mushrooms.  In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic, both cans of tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil, bay leaf, and crushed pepper.  Add just enough water to stir well.  Pour the mixture over the pork and vegetables.  Cook on low for about 8 hours.  At the end of the cooking time, remove the pork, debone and shred with two forks. Stir shredded pork back into the crockpot with the tomatoes and vegetables and combine well.

shared at $5 Dinners, Pennywise Platter, Frugal Friday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Grocery Cart Challenge, and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday