Oh My Pork Chops!

These slow cooker pork chops are so good they could make me weep. Last time my daughter came home I chased her around all weekend trying to get her to try a teeny taste. She kept insisting, "Okay I might try it, but I don't like pork chops." Finally on Sunday night she took the littlest bite and said something like, "Wait, these are good." She then absconded with all my leftovers. They are seriously delicious.  This recipe is inspired by a recipe found on The Gluten Free Homestead post from October 12, 2016. I am definitely a KISS kind of cook. This version is somewhat more simple than the original. You do need to plan ahead for this one as you'll want to brine the meat for at least one hour. I like to put it in brine the night before and then set it up in the morning.

Ingredients for Brine

2 large Bone in Pork Chops, preferably pasture raised

3-4 warm cups water
2 Tablespoons salt
2-3 bay leaves
Searing Ingredients
2-3 teaspoons bacon grease, olive oil or avocado oil
About 1/4 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar (or cooking wine).
Slow Cooker Ingredients
3 cups water
1 teaspoon Bragg's apple cider vinegar
1 medium onion
4 large carrots
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or a few fresh leaves)

Brining the chops. Add two tablespoons salt to 3-4 cups warm water to dissolve into a glass or metal container (I use a medium glass mixing bowl with a lid). Add 2-3 bay leaves and pork chops. Cover and refrigerate. Leave for at least an hour.

Pour off the brine, and put the bay leaves into the slow cooker (if possible). Sprinkle salt one one side of chops. Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel frying pan to medium high heat and add the bacon grease or oil. Once it sizzles when you drip a little water in the pan, it is ready for the chops. Please note if the oil smokes the pan is too hot. If that happens you probably want to throw out the oil, wipe out the pan and start again. After you put the chops salted side down, sprinkle the other side with salt.

Add the pork chops to the hot pan and leave them until you can shake the pan and the meat moves. If the meat is sticking to the pan, it's not ready.  While the chops are searing you can add the Slow Cooker ingredients to the Slow Cooker. Once the chops move freely and have some nice brown spots go ahead and flip them.

Add the seared chops to the slow cooker. After you remove the chops, you will deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup Bragg's vinegar. Pour the vinegar into the still hot pan and scrap up all the good bits. Pour everything from the pan on top of the pork chops in the slow cooker.

Set the slow cooker on low and cook 4 hours.