Pork is largely underutilized in the U.S., and that’s too bad. This Paleo crockpot pork chops and gravy recipe is a great way to get more pork on your table.
Is Your Favorite Pork Recipe Paleo?
There are a lot of ways to prepare pork, and many of them aren’t particularly Paleo. That’s too bad because it’s a great way to take a break from chicken, beef, and steak while still getting your protein.
Let’s start with pork chops. I don’t know about you, but my old family recipe for pork chops is delicious, but not Paleo.
Those chops are coated in breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, so they are definitely not OK for Paleo. Of course, if you found raw cheese, that’s fine, but most people aren’t using the raw stuff.
Those who like gravy with their pork chops face another issue — there’s almost always flour in gravy.
Finally, you have to consider what oil, if any, you’re using to cook your chops. There are still folks out there clinging to canola, but that doesn’t have a place in my kitchen.
Now that you’ve explored some of the ways pork can stray from Paleo, let’s learn how to do it right.
How to Make Paleo Pork Chops
These Paleo pork chops come out moist and juicy thanks to their three-hour stint in the slow cooker. It really doesn’t take a lot to bring out the flavor; just a few simple ingredients will render them incredibly tasty.
For starters, I use olive oil (not canola!) to brown the chops before placing them in the slow cooker. Do not skip this step! It really makes a difference in the end result.
You’ll then cook your mushrooms and onions in the same pan, taking advantage of the leftover fat and oil. This will give them a nice meaty flavor while they caramelize.
Since this isn’t a breaded chop, there is no coating them in breadcrumbs, flour, or anything of the sort. There’s no need! These chops come out with wonderful flavor.
Because these are being prepared in a slow cooker, you’ll want to add an appropriate amount of liquid. Warm beef or chicken broth is perfect, and we’ll add a little gluten-free tamari sauce to any remaining liquid for our gravy.
Finally, a bit of salt and pepper finishes the dish tastefully.
Why Can’t You Eat Dairy On Paleo?
Well, to confuse things, sometimes it is OK to eat dairy on Paleo. I advise people to eliminate it from their diet for 60 days and see how they feel upon adding it back.
A lot of people have issues with dairy that are undetected. If you take the test and feel great with dairy, that’s awesome! Purchase raw dairy products to keep it Paleo.
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Season the pork chops and grill until browned on all sides. Set aside.
In the same pan, fry the onions and mushrooms until caramelized. Deglaze the pan with the broth and pour the mixture into a crockpot. Add the pork chops then cook for 3 hours.
Remove the chops from the crockpot and set aside, covered, to keep warm. Transfer the broth and onion mixture to a clean pan on the stove and reduce over high heat to a thicker gravy. Stir in the tamari and serve the sauce with the chops.
Garnish with chives.
Notes
All nutritional data are estimated and based on per serving amounts.
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