SF Pork Chop Review

San Francisco Pork Chop Review

Tonight’s recipe gets 3 ½ Yums out of 4.  We all loved the SF pork chop.  I prepared a quick brown rice and veggie side.  In the brown rice I had sugar peas, edamame, and shredded carrot. 

What we loved:  The sauce was very good and made this recipe a success.  The pork was fork tender and moist.

What we didn’t like:  There wasn’t much we didn’t like, but thought the sauce could be brighten with some freshly grated ginger.

Kid’s review: They cleaned their plates!!  My kids don’t always like Asian food but they did like this dish. 

For next time:  I will add the freshly grated ginger at the same time as the garlic.  We love ginger so it will probably be a heaping tablespoon.  Instead of steaming the veggies with the rice, I’ll do a quick veggie stir-fry and use the sauce for the veggies.  I might even double the sauce so we have plenty.  I’ll also do six pork chops instead of four because we didn’t have anything for leftovers.  I think this pork would be great as leftovers, maybe even on an Asian salad.

Overall impression:  This recipe is a keeper because the kids cleaned their plates!

Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops

Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops - FPC

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Mashed Potatoes or Hot Cooked Rice (for serving)

Directions

1.     In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker.

2.     Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!).

3.     Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

4.     Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker.

5.     Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point.

6.     In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

 Recipe by Taste of Home

The Menu

Until I can figure out how to put an image of my calendar on Blogger this will have to do.

Our dinner menu for August.

Week 1

5^th – Eat out

6^th – San Francisco Pork Chops

7^th – Beef Taco Soup

8^th – Stuffed Peppers

9^th – BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork

10^th – Swedish Meatballs

11^th – Lemon Garlic Chicken

Week 2

12^th – Leftovers

13^th – Ravioli Casserole

14^th – Sesame Ginger Chicken

15^th – Taco Casserole

16^th – Baked Salmon Parmesan

17^th – Pan Seared Steaks

18^th – Beef Pot Roast

Week 3

19^th – Leftovers

20^th – Slow Cooker Lasagna

21^st – Brinner (breakfast for dinner)

22^nd – Chicken Spinach

23^rd – Pepperoncini Sandwiches

24^th - Chicken Tacos

25^th – Brown Sugar Chicken

Week 4

26^th – Leftovers

27^th – Chicken Spaghetti

28^th – Beef Dip Sandwiches

29^th – Loaded Baked Potatoes

30^th – Cheeseburger Mac

31^st – NY Pizza

The Rules

The Rules

1.      Eat your leftovers.  Why throw away your hard earned money.  Make one day a week leftover day or take leftovers the next day for lunch. 

2.      Vary your meals.  Change between poultry, beef, pork, fish and vegetarian meals.  Avoid placing similar ethnic foods (pizza & spaghetti) on adjacent days.

3.      Double your recipe.  If you have a deep freezer, double your recipe so clean up time is cut in half.  You also have extra meals that can be used for next month already prepared! 

4.      Have fun.  Enjoy breakfast for dinner (Brinner).  A kid’s choice night and just be prepared for PB & J.  Plan 1 or 2 nights to eat out.

5.      Incorporate fresh fruits and veggies.  Most of the meals will have vegetables but it is always nice to have lettuce on hand for a salad or fruits for snacks or dessert.

6.      Plan and prepare.  Plan your month and shopping trip.  Right now I am planning a week in advance and hope to work up to a month in advance.  Prepare your meals and placing ingredients in freezer bags.

I’ve planned for the remaining month of August and we are looking forward to how this will work for our family.  I will be shopping and preparing the meals for the week on Sundays.  My plan is to be able to shop once a month for the majority of the items and have everything prepared ahead of time. 

Next week the kids start school and I want to be prepared for the change to our schedule.  A week after the kids start I go back to school.  I am taking four classes this semester.  Two are online and two are in the evenings.  The even classes are hard on my family.  As soon as my husband gets home from work I have to head out the door to school.  I like to have a nice dinner ready instead of everyone fending for themselves. 

The meals will be broken down into three categories:

FNC – Freezer meals with no cooking.  Generally these will be slow-cooker meals where all of the ingredients will be placed in a labeled, freezer bag.

FPC – Freezer meals with pre-cooking.  These meals will require part of the meal cooked prior to being placed in a labeled, freezer bag.

CC – Chop, Chop.  Quick, cook meals made that day.  These may have some prep work but primarily made that day.

My last birthday my MIL and SIL gave me a new Crock-Pot that is amazing.  It’s easy to use and has a nice touch screen.  I love how the lid seals for transporting.  They also gave me a carrying case so I can take warm meals to family and friend gatherings.  This will be my main cooking utensil.

The Plan

I've planned out every dinner for the entire month of August.  Why?  School is starting soon (for both the kids and me) along with soccer and gymnastics.  Since I have night classes and work part-time I knew we would need meals that were ready for us in the evenings.  I found this great idea via Pinterest and wanted a way to share my experiences with my friends.  Greater Things by Callie posted her monthly meal plan and I loved the idea so much I STOLE it.  Yup, I’m a thief.  Her idea was so inspiring I wanted to do the same for my family.  Callie, if you ever drop by, Thank You!! 

Every meal I have planned, this month, will be new to us.  I plan on taking lots of photos and having reviews (from the kids and hubby) as we go along.  Most of the recipes have come from other sources and I will post links to those so they may have credit.  If you would like I would be happy to use your recipe in the future.  I'll start planning September soon and will need more ideas.  I am also looking for great breakfast and lunch ideas as well.