SLOW COOKER PORK CHOPS AND ONIONS RECIPES

Steps:

• Brine your pork chops (optional). Brining seasons the meat throughout and provides some insurance against overcooking. Stir the salt and water together until the salt dissolves. (You can also warm the water in the microwave to make this easier, but wait for the water to cool to room temperature before continuing.) Place the chops in a shallow baking dish and pour the brine over them. The chops should be submerged; if not, make additional brine solution. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Season with salt and pepper. If you brined your pork chops, rinse them under cool running water, then pat them dry with paper towels. If you didn't, just remove from their package and pat dry. Either way, season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Sear the chops (optional). Searing adds good flavor to the overall dish, but if you're in a rush, you can skip this step. If you do sear the meat, you can also quickly sauté the onions or other vegetables going into the dish and then deglaze the pan with the cooking liquid. Add an extra splash of the cooking liquid to the pot to compensate for the liquid that evaporated during deglazing.
• Add a layer of vegetables to the slow cooker. Scatter the vegetables or fruits you've chosen over the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. They should form a single layer.
• Layer the chops on top. Place the chops on top of the vegetables. It's okay to overlap the chops slightly, but don't stack them on top of each other.
• Pour the cooking liquid over top. Pour the cooking liquid, or the liquid left from deglazing your pan, over the chops. If you sautéed any vegetables, tuck some of them below the chops and scatter the rest on top.
• Cook for 2 to 6 hours on LOW. Cover and cook on the LOW setting for 2 to 6 hours. At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone. (The first time you make slow cooker pork chops, check the chops every so often to see how they're cooking; after this first batch, you'll know exactly how much cooking time to plan for going forward to make your ideal pork chops.)
• Serve with the vegetables and cooking liquid. Serve the chops and vegetables straight from the slow cooker, or transfer everything to a serving dish. Spoon the cooking liquid over top of everything.

Steps:

• Rub the pork with salt and pepper, and then set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. (See notes below if you plan to sear the pork first).
• Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic then cook, occasionally stirring, until they are sweet and browned around the edges. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring until the tomato paste turns from bright red to orange in color; about 3 minutes. Add the water, apple cider vinegar, and fish sauce and cook for about 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Rest the seasoned pork in the bottom of a slow cooker then pour the onion and spice mixture on top. Wiggle the pork around the bottom of the slow cooker so that some of the onion and spice mixture slides underneath. Cover with lid and cook until the pork can be easily shredded; LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6.
• Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a cutting board. If the pork has a bone in it, remove and discard it. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any connective tissue, and large clumps of fat.
• Remove the cooking liquid and skim most of the fat from its surface. Discard the fat then set the cooking liquid aside.
• If using barbecue sauce, add it to the slow cooker and stir in the shredded pork. For even more flavor, add back some of the reserved cooking liquid. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, add the shredded pork and the cooking liquid back to the slow cooker. Taste and season with salt, additional vinegar, or hot sauce as needed.