Cast-Iron Smothered Pork Chops with Bacon Collards

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick bone-in chops get a crisp almond-parmesan crust in bacon fat, then finish under a silky mushroom-onion cream gravy right in the skillet. A pot of collards braised in the same drippings with cider vinegar and red pepper makes it a full Southern plate — no flour, no sugar, all fat and flavor.

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops, 1-inch thick (about 10 oz each)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp sugar-free hot sauce

• 1 1/2 lb collard greens, stemmed and cut into 1-inch ribbons
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Pat the pork chops very dry. Combine the 2 tsp kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and dried thyme; rub all over the chops and let them sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prep everything else.
2. Lay the bacon in a cold 12-inch cast-iron skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels. Pour 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat into a Dutch oven or large pot and leave the rest in the skillet.
3. Start the collards: heat the Dutch oven over medium, add the diced onion and cook 4 minutes until softened, then add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds. Add the collards in handfuls, letting each wilt, then pour in the 1 1/4 cups broth, the cider vinegar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring twice, until tender.
4. Meanwhile, stir the almond flour and parmesan together on a plate. Press each chop into the mixture on both sides, shaking off any loose crumbs.
5. Return the skillet with the bacon fat to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When it foams, add the chops and sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the crust is deep golden. Flip and sear 3 minutes more, to an internal temperature of about 135°F. Transfer to a plate; they will finish in the gravy.
6. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet along with the sliced mushrooms and sliced onion. Cook, scraping up the browned bits, for 7 to 8 minutes until the mushrooms are browned and the liquid they release has evaporated. Add the minced garlic and cook 45 seconds.
7. Pour in the 3/4 cup broth and simmer 2 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream, cream cheese, and Dijon until the cream cheese melts smoothly. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface while whisking constantly and simmer 2 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon. Stir in the hot sauce and taste for salt.
8. Nestle the chops back into the gravy along with any resting juices, spooning gravy over the top. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the chops register 145°F at the bone. Turn off the heat and rest 5 minutes.
9. Finish the collards by stirring in the 1 tablespoon butter and crumbling in 4 slices of the cooked bacon. Crumble the remaining 2 slices over the smothered chops and serve the chops with plenty of gravy alongside the greens and their pot liquor.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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