Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Major Pepper

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (123)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(123)

Cook Time:
6 hr 20 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 8 hr 0 min
Cook: 6 hr 20 min
Total:: 14 hr 40 min

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Ingredients

2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons black peppercorns, slightly crushed
1 pound ice
4 (1 to 1 1/2-inch thick) bone-in pork chops
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 ounces dried apple slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, julienned
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Combine the vegetable broth, 1/2 cup kosher salt, brown sugar and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Cook just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat and add the ice. Place the pork chops into a 2-gallon zip-top bag along with the mixture and seal. Place in a plastic container and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the chops from the brine, rinse, and pat dry. Season on both sides with the kosher salt and set aside

Place the apples in the slow cooker.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch stainless steel saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute the pork chops on both sides until golden brown, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. Once browned, place the pork chops into the slow cooker atop the apples.

Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan followed by the onions and saute until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze. Add the black pepper and thyme and stir to combine. Transfer this to the slow cooker, set to high, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Decrease the heat to low and continue cooking for another 4 hours and 30 minutes or until the pork is tender and falling away from the bone.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
JULIE elkridge, MD 10-27-2009
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These Scream Fall
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have made this recipe several times and I think it's better every time ! Neither time did I experience the "too salty"... problem that many others have had. Do yourself a favor though and make extra onions & apples, you'll want more. My only criticism would be they should notate in BOLD that the chops need to soak overnight, otherwise you read this in the morning and are hoping to make them for dinner and you can't. A MUST TRY...Read more
recipe Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
Kara Noblesville, IN 10-15-2009
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Unexpectedly good slow cooker recipe
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Pork cooked in the slow cooker can be very dry and unappealing. These pork chops are great - very moist and flavorful. I... love having a go to recipe for a busy work day. I read the reviews and saltiness was raised as a concern. Keep in mind that the salt in vegetable broth can vary from brand to brand and that may contribute to the final amount of salt in the dish. If you are concerned about the salt, use water or unsalted chicken or vegetable broth in the brine - that is what I did and the final product was not too salty. Alton never fails to give me great recipes for my family. Read more
recipe Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
Angela Georgetown, IL 09-19-2009
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Too salty for me
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I did use kosher salt and still found this recipe to be too salty. While my famiy did eat the chops without too much... complaint, I probably will not make tihs recipe again.Read more
recipe Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
Joan Jupiter, FL 09-07-2009
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WOW!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I did not marinate my chops in the brine, as I thought they would be too salty. Instead of using a slow cooker, I browned... them first and then cooked them slowly in a 300 degree oven, covered, for a few hours until they were very tender. I imagine there would be more liquid in the slow cooker, so if you want more juice, add more chicken broth while it is cooking. The apple/onion mixture was outstanding...next time I would make more of it. Love the hint of thyme, but I did not use as much pepper as the recipe called for. I usually bake fresh apples with pork, but the dried apples added a sweetness and a concentration of flavor that was just delicious! This is a winner! Thank you, Alton.Read more
recipe Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
Ben Burnsville, MN 09-07-2009
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Wonderful--even for ribs
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Very easy, manageable recipe with room for experiment. I decided I wanted to do something other than BBQ ribs, so I gave this... a whirl. Ribs were amazingly tender, fall off the bone tender, and the pepper was dominating, but not overwhelming. I will definitely try this for other meals (lamb chops would be good). Fresh apples also worked very well, as I didn't have dried on hand. Delicious. Read more
recipe Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops
Natalie Dallas, TX 09-05-2009
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pretty much like everything else that comes out of a slow cooker
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

The pork chops were fine, but make sure and put the amt of salt it says in the recipe on the pork chops. We thought it was... too little and added more and it ended up having way too much salt. Overall they're OK--nothing I would make again.Read more