Listen, if there’s one thing I love, it’s a good pork chop. Growing up, we ate pork chops a lot. They were usually fried and then smothered. That’s really the best way. Peppery gravy over some good buttered rice brings me back to a place and time where all the vibes existed. Welp, no more rice…but, we can still have a good ol’ pan gravy…with bacon. And, I’m here to show you how. Grab your cast iron skillets and let’s get to cooking.
For the Pork Chops
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1/2 cup of diced onion
4 thick cut pork chops
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon of ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
Heat a skillet. Add in the olive oil, bacon, and diced onion and cook until the bacon has cooked through. Remove from the pan. Meanwhile, season the pork chops with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground fennel, ground thyme, and smoked paprika. Then, in the same pan, sear the pork chops in the bacon fat on both sides until the pork chops are just cooked through. Add back in the bacon mixture and pour in the chicken stock. Cook until the chicken stock has reduced by half.
For the cauliflower puree, it’s simple. I microwaved a head of cauliflower florets and added the cooked cauliflower to a blender. I added heavy cream, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. Then, I blended it until it was smooth. Then, I added the puree to a pot and added some Parmesan and mascarpone cheese. I cooked it on medium heat just until the puree was warm.
