~Easy K.C-Style Oven-Baked Barbecued Pork Chops~

Unless I'm staring-down a 1 1/2"-2" double-cut pork chop, complete with a pocket full of stuffing inside, that has been painstakingly stovetop- or oven-braised, I pretty much believe pork chops all taste better slathered with some sort of barbecue sauce.  So, for the purpose of this post, my reference to barbecued pork chops refers to pork chops slathered in barbecue sauce, not pork chops prepared in traditional barbecue-style (low and slow over smoldering coals or embers for a long period of time).  As long as the end justifies the means, I'm super-easy to get along with.

Literally fork tender & everything one could ask for:

Sixty short minutes to dinner:  12-14 minutes to brown the chops, 1 minute to "doctor-up" the store-bought sauce, 40 minutes in the oven to bake, plus, 2-3 minutes under the broiler.

6  3/4"-1" thick, bone-in pork loin chops

4  tablespoons corn or peanut oil, for sautéing chops

freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend, for seasoning chops

1  cup K.C. Masterpiece original barbecue sauce, plus, the rest of the 18-ounce bottle for dipping or drizzling at tableside

1  pound, 1/2"-thick-sliced yellow or sweet onion, sliced into half-moon shapes

no-stick cooking spray, for preparing casserole

~ Step 1.  Spray a 13" x 9" x 2" casserole with no-stick spray.  Slice onion into 1/2"-thick rounds, then slice rounds in half to form half-moons. Separate the onion pieces, arranging them in bottom of prepared casserole.  Set aside.

~Step 2. In a 16" electric skillet, heat the corn or peanut oil over low heat. Increase heat to 225º (medium-high), add the chops, then, season their tops with freshly-ground sea salt and peppercorn blend.  Continue to sauté the chops until they're browning nicely on the bottom, about 6-7 minutes.  Using a spatula, flip the chops over and season the second side with freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn blend.  Sauté the chops until golden on the bottom, about 6-7 more minutes.  Turn the heat off.  Transfer chops to a plate and set aside.

~Step 3.  Add the barbecue sauce to the skillet.  Return heat to 225°. Quickly heat the barbecue sauce to bubbling, stirring constantly to incorporate the sauce into the flavorful pan drippings.  This will take less than 1 minute.  Turn the heat off.  Return the chops to the skillet and coat them generously, on both sides, in the barbecue sauce.

~Step 4.  One-at-a-time, transfer pork chops to  casserole, arranging them on top of the onions as you work.  Using an ordinary tablespoon, place about 2 tablespoons of the remaining barbecue sauce on top of each chop (and continue  on with any remaining sauce if there is any left in the skillet).  Note:  At this point, the casserole may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated several hours or overnight.  Remove from refrigerator 1-2 hours prior to proceeding with recipe.

~Step 5.  Tightly cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.  Bake on center rack of preheated 325º oven, 40 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and reset oven to broil.  Uncover casserole and place 6" under preheated broiler until bubbling and showing signs of charring, about 2-3 minutes, watching carefully during the broiling process because the sugar in the barbecue sauce can and will go from brown to burned very quickly.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

These chops are great served over green beans along w/my Crispy-Topped Baked Sweet Potato Casserole:      

Easy K.C.-Style Oven-Baked Barbecued Pork Chops:  Recipe yields 6 servings.

Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; 13" x 9" x 2" casserole; 16" electric skillet w/lid; fork; spatula; tablespoon; aluminum foil

Cook's Note: A nice big piece of perfectly-cooked fall-off-the-bone-tender barbecued chicken, hot of the grill grids and dripping with a fresh slather of tangy barbecue sauce, is one of my favorite meals.  That said, timing is everything, and the slightest time delay, as little as three short minutes, can cause the chicken to go from juicy and succulent to dry and tough -- this is further complicated if a combination of various-sized chicken parts (breasts, legs and thighs) are cooking at the same time.  Sure, it's easily controlled, by babysitting each piece during the last five minutes of the cooking process, but, it's never correctable once the damage is done.  Trust me, oven-roasting removes all room for error, and, chicken leg-thigh quarters are my favorite pick for a quick weekday meal.  Try my ~ Easy Oven-Roasted Barbecued Chicken Quarters ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2020)

Comments

[KitchenEncounters]

Many thanks Theresa!

[THERESA Husbands]

Looks delicious 😋🤪