Slow-Roasted Pork Chop

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One night, this born procrastinator was feeling ambitious and decided to get ahead on dinner for the following night. I knew I’d be slammed with deadlines and recognized that getting dinner ready any earlier than 8 p.m. would be a longshot. As I prepped this dish, allowing the meat to roast for hours after that evening’s dinner, the aroma of the pork chops filled my house. At nearly midnight, there I stood hovering over the stove sneaking tender pieces of pork into my mouth. A confession—only two of the four pork chops made their way into a container for the next day. For days, I raved about the dish to friends and family.

I can’t take full credit for the success of this dish, though. Like an orchestra, a number of factors play a role in its perfection. A cast iron pan creates salty, caramelized bits on the surface of each chop, the slow-roasting technique lends an unthinkable tenderness, an aromatic spice blend offers a robust flavor, and the meat itself, sourced from Michigan-based J&M Farm, is thick and rimmed with a translucent fat that melts like butter. Join me in adding this recipe to your list of comfort-food recipes on days you need a culinary hug.

Ingredients

• 5-Spice Blend
• 4 pork chops, bone-in and thick-cut
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 yellow onion, sliced   

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and melt ghee in a cast iron pan.

Rub each pork chop with 5-Spice Blend until coated well. Add onions to cast iron pan with melted ghee, and lay chops on top. Cook in over for 3 hours, or overnight for fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Once the texture is to your liking, remove the pork chops from the oven and place on a wire rack to drain the ghee and natural fat from the meat.   

Serve with a fresh green salad, on a sandwich, or, simply hover over the stove and pop decadent hunks into your mouth like this author if you’re so inclined.