For His Master's Veneration: Crocked Chops

There are many “Good Luck” dishes that are traditional for New Years. Most follow superstitions and what the food looks like. For example, if you cook green leafy vegetables – you will make money in the coming year. Also for eating carrot “coins”. Like the people in the far east believe that eating long noodles will foreshadow a long life, making a meal out of cheaper ingredients will improve your wealth in the next year. Many believe the most prosperous fortune will come to those who feast on pig. Also, they will have the best sex, health, whatever!

Lets face it, pork can taste great! Any excuse will do. So slave put together this for your “families” benefit and enjoyment.

Ingredients:

1½ – 2 lbs boneless pork chops (thick cut)

8oz. sliced mushrooms

1 medium yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can condensed chicken soup

1 bottle of beer

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp ground ginger

Directions:

Wipe out the slow cooker and spray with cooking spray. Turn on to high and cover while you prepare the food.

Put the mushrooms on to rinse.

Do your cutting.

Cut up the onion, set aside, then mince the garlic and sit aside.

Carefully trim all of the fat off of the pork chops. Normally if you were grilling or even just sauteing them, the fat would supply needed flavor. However since they will be sitting all day in a crock pot, they would end up swimming in fat, so cut it off now.

Put those pieces of fat into a skillet with 1 tbs oil over medium heat. Add the onions. Let them cook for about 10 minutes or until they turn translucent and start to brown around the edges. Remove the pieces of fat and put the onions in a bowl.

Add another tbs of oil and brown the chops. About 3 or 4 minutes per side. You just want to start that tasty brown layer. Remove to a paper towel to drain.

Add the mushrooms and let the water cook out of them, about 5 minutes. Then remove the cover and cook another 3 minutes, to start to brown, Finally add the garlic for a last minute, but no more. (garlic burns easily).

While that is cooking down mix the condensed soup into a medium sized bowl with the Worcestershire sauce and ginger. Mix well.

Spoon a bit of the soup mixture into the slow cooker to place the chops on. Then add the onions, mushrooms and garlic.

Stir about half of the beer into the bowl with the soup mixture until well incorporated and pour onto the chops. Add the last of the beer by pouring around the edges. Cover and reduce the heat to LOW. Do not forget this step.

Let that cook for 7 to 8 hours.*

*Note: if you could not get thick cut pork chops (at least ¾ inch thick), then drop the cooking time by 2 hours. Thinner chops will cook faster and might fall apart if left in for the full 8 hours.

Slave served this with roasted yellow potatoes and roasted green beans.

They both roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. While they are cooking, Mix 3 tbs of cornstarch into about ½ cup of water. Stir well and add this to the crock pot. Recover and raise the heat to HIGH.