German Pork Chops

German Pork Chops

Do you like German beer? I find myself preferring German beers more often as I get older. Oh, I like a good American microbrew, don’t get me wrong, but I find myself turning to a good Dunkel or a Marzen more often these days. 

Then again, I have so many favorites, I need a list to keep them straight. I can summarize this way: Beer - German; Wine - Italian; Bourbon - Kentucky; Whiskey - Tennessee, Brandy - Plum Brandy form Serbia. What did I forget? Oh, yeah, Vodka - Russia. Well, anyways, here’s a meal that goes good with German beer.

Pork chops, egg noodles, sauerkraut and a big stein of German beer, who could not like that? That’s comfort food in my book. Now the secret to this meal is to pick the thickest bone-in pork chops you can find. If you bribe the butcher, an inch and a half chop is perfect for this!

2 Large thick pork chops, at least one inch thick, better yet, 1-1/2”

Bacon fat

1 large onion, sliced thin

1 bottle dark German beer

Cajun seasoning

Dill

White pepper

Preparation

Season the chops with cajun seasoning on both sides. Heat a small cast iron skillet and melt enough bacon fat to coat the bottom. Add the onion, and cook over medium heat until the onion has browned and is beginning to caramelize, about ten to fifteen minutes.

Add the chops, and cook them for about three minutes on each side. Add the bottle of beer along with a dash of dill and a good sprinkling of white pepper. Bring the beer to a boil and place the skillet under a hot broiler.

Broil for about seven minutes per side, so that each side is browned. If you are not sure, you can test for doneness, by making a slice near the bone to see that most of the pink color is gone.

Serving

Place each chop on a plate and generously ladle some of the cooking liquid with onions over the top of the chop. Add a pile of buttered egg noodles next to the chop and then a big pile of sauerkraut. Start everything out with a bowl of liver dumpling soup and a crisp salad. Forget the wine, serve lots of dark German beer with your dinner.