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Slow Cooker Zesty Pork Chops

Pork chops are one of the most versatile cuts of meat you can find in your supermarket. I love how they can quickly absorb marinades, and how tender they become while slow cooked.

My friend Shirley makes really good pork chops. A bit ago she made a Zesty Pork Chop dinner for her family and posted it on her Gluten Free Easily website. One of the (many) reasons I appreciate Shirley is because although she cooks completely gluten free (like me), she does it with naturally gluten free foods, and doesn’t make a big deal out of swapping out ingredients. She’s made a few changes here and there, and is terribly mindful when eating out, but at home she just cooks. If you didn’t know better, you’d have no idea that her food and recipes were made with food allergies in mind.

Shirley graciously agreed to let me test out her Zesty Pork Chops in the slow cooker. Guess what? They totally worked. SCORE!

Zesty Pork Chops

4-6 pork chops
2 teaspoons garlic powder (Shirley used onion, but I didn’t have any in the house)
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice (I know that one kind of looks like a lime, but it’s a lemon, I promise!)
1/2 cup gluten free soy sauce

Instructions

If you have time to do so, marinate your pork chops in the sauce and spices in a zippered freezer bag (or bowl) for a few hours, or overnight (this would be an excellent candidate for a Slow Cooker TV Dinner.

If not, combine spices, brown sugar, olive oil, lemon juice, and soy sauce in a mixing bowl and pour over chops nestled into a 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for about 3. Pork chops don’t take very long to cook through. If you find that they are tough, you can flip them over and cook longer on low to tenderize.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a ladleful of the delicious sauce remaining in the crock.

The Verdict

Adam, the kids, and I all loved these. I’m pretty sure the kids thought they were eating chicken, but whatever. The meat was fully enveloped in the salty-citrusy flavor (Shirley is right---“zesty” is the right adjective!) and there was just a touch of sweetness present from the brown sugar. If I wasn’t feeding small children, I think I’d like to shake on some red pepper flakes for a teensy bit of heat. We had mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli with our dinner.