Farmer's Pork Chops

These farmer’s pork chops are a proper one-dish dinner. Flour-coated, browned chops sit on a bed of sliced potatoes with onion rings piled on top, and the whole thing gets smothered in a sour cream and dry mustard sauce before baking covered for 90 minutes.

The long, covered braise does all the work. The potatoes absorb the sour cream sauce as it breaks down, the onions melt into the meat, and the chops turn fall-apart tender. Uncovering for the last stretch browns the top and gives the onions a golden edge.

Browning the chops first builds a crust that holds up during the braise and adds depth to the sauce underneath.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t crowd the chops in the baking dish. They need space so the heat circulates and everything cooks evenly.
• Slice the potatoes thin, about ¼ inch thick. Thick slices won’t cook through in the same time as the pork, and you’ll end up with crunchy potatoes under tender meat.
• Cover tightly with foil for the first 90 minutes. The trapped steam is what braises the chops and cooks the potatoes. Loose foil lets the moisture escape.
• Uncover and check the potatoes before the final browning. If they’re not tender yet, re-cover and bake longer before letting the top brown.

Variations

• Smoked pork chops: Use smoked chops and skip the browning step. The smoke flavor infuses the potatoes during the braise.
• Mushroom version: Layer sliced mushrooms between the potatoes and chops for an earthy addition that cooks down into the sauce.