Garlicky Pork Chops and Broccoli
on Nov 27, 2020, Updated Mar 24, 2023
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5 ingredients, less than 1/2 hour, and you've got a flavorful weeknight dinner.
Five ingredients, not including the olive oil, salt and pepper. And 5 ingredients INCLUDING the protein, the vegetable, and the starch. Ok, that’s as simple as it’s going to get for any of us. To put it another way, do you have Worcestershire sauce and garlic? Good, now you have the seasonings.
While you do not need to brine your pork chops before cooking them, if you have time you will ensure that the results are tender and juicy.
Substitutions for Pork Chops
You could absolutely positively make this pork recipe exactly the same way with a steak (1 ½ pounds boneless steak should be good for 4, maybe with leftovers for lunch) or chicken breasts, or even a thick fish fillet, like cod or halibut. A full-on weeknight warrior recipe template.
Worcestershire Sauce
Worcestershire sauce is the main seasoning, but it’s having certain condiments like Worcestershire sauce around that make dinners like this possible and actually delicious. Many of us have that bottle in the door of the fridge but don’t know exactly what it is. (Or how to properly pronounce it — but it’s so much fun to screw around with the word that knowing the right way to say it isn’t all that necessary.)
Worcestershire sauce is a terrific savory secret ingredient. First of all, it’s fermented, and if you’re a person who stays in the loop on culinary trends, you know that all things fermented are holy these days. (But guess what? Fermentation has been revered and beloved and such for millennia! Fermentation: not just for hipsters.)
The use of fermented ingredients is one way to create umami (another buzzy word). Umami translates roughly to savory or delicious and is often described as the fifth taste. It is, essentially, that elusive flavor in foods such as meat or Parmesan or miso that make things taste amazing.
What Is in Worcestershire Sauce?
Worcestershire is one ingredient, but it works so well because it contains a whole lot more ingredients, like anchovies, sugar, onions, vinegar, tamarind, spices, and garlic — it’s essentially a mix of all of the other 4 flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter. But you don’t have to mix together all of these ingredients, you just have to keep that paper-covered bottle in the fridge, and open it from time to time.
It works beautifully here, and in so many other recipes, from stews to sauces to burgers. Next time you take it out, shake a few drops onto your finger and taste it. Then you will start to think of ways to use this amazing condiment in various dishes, and who knows how many more 5-ingredient dinners will be in the offing.
Garlicky Pork Chops and Broccoli: 5 ingredients, less than 1/2 hour, and you’ve got a flavorful weeknight dinner.
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Other Easy Pork Dinner Recipes
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Korean Pork Chops
- Pork Chops with Applesauce
- Mustard and Maple Pork Kebabs
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Garlicky Pork Chops and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 4 boneless pork chops (about 2 ½ pounds total, 1 ½ inches thick)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 bunch broccoli (cut into florets)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Hot cooked rice or mashed potatoes (to serve)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Cook the pork chops for about 5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Transfer them to a plate.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the broccoli and sauté for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, until you can smell the garlic. Add the Worcestershire Sauce and 1/4 cup water, cover the pan and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until the broccoli is just tender. Uncover the pan and sauté for another minute until any liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve the pork and broccoli on plates with hot rice or mashed potatoes.
