Smothered Pork Chops with Bacon-Onion Gravy and Collards

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thick bone-in pork chops get a crackly almond flour and parmesan crust, then finish under a silky bacon-onion cream gravy built right in the cast iron. A pot of vinegary collards simmered in bacon drippings soaks up every drop. All the Sunday-supper comfort of a smothered chop plate, with no flour, no breading and no sugar in the pot.

Ingredients

• 6 slice thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 1/2 lb collard greens, stemmed and cut into 1-inch ribbons
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and black pepper

• 4 bone-in pork rib chops, about 1 inch thick (10 oz each)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Pat the pork chops dry and season all over with the kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Let them sit uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes while you start the greens.
2. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are crisp. Scoop the bacon onto a paper towel with a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings, reserving the rest.
3. Add the sliced onion and smashed garlic to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes until softened. Add the collards in handfuls, stirring each addition until wilted, about 4 minutes total. Pour in the 2 cups chicken broth, the vinegar and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
4. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer the collards for 35 to 40 minutes, until fully tender and the pot likker is dark and glossy. Stir in half the reserved bacon, taste, and add more vinegar or salt as needed. Keep warm over the lowest heat.
5. While the greens simmer, stir the almond flour and parmesan together in a shallow dish. Press each chop firmly into the mixture on both sides and along the fat cap so it forms an even coating; set the chops on a plate.
6. Heat the avocado oil plus 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Sear the chops in two batches, 3 minutes per side, until the crust is deep golden. Transfer to a plate; they will not be fully cooked yet.
7. Reduce heat to medium and add the butter to the same skillet. Add the sliced onion and mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook 8 to 10 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the mushrooms release their liquid and the onions turn golden. Stir in the minced garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more.
8. Pour in the 1 1/4 cups chicken broth and simmer 3 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and Dijon. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface while whisking constantly and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon.
9. Nestle the chops and any resting juices back into the gravy, spoon some over the top, and simmer gently uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until the thickest part of a chop registers 145°F on an instant-read thermometer.
10. Rest the chops in the skillet off the heat for 5 minutes. Scatter with the remaining bacon and the parsley, and serve each chop with plenty of gravy and a pile of collards with their pot likker.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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