In a shallow bowl combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the pork chops in the flour, turning it to coat both sides well. Shake off any excess flour.
Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter over medium high heat, then sear the pork chops for 3 minutes on each side until the outside is browned but the pork isn’t quite cooked through. Transfer the pork to a plate.
Return the pan to medium heat and add the garlic, stirring for 1 minute until it is just golden. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, honey, and red pepper flakes. Stir until it is combined and bubbly and you’ve released any little browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 more minute. Return the pork to the pan and turn it in the sauce until it is well coated, then allow the pork to continue cooking for another couple of minutes until it is cooked through, with an internal temperature of 140 F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a serving dish (or individual plates), pour over any remaining sauce, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle over the scallions, if using.
Serve hot with the rice , if desired.
Notes
I always make more “dinner” than I need because I am the world’s biggest fan of leftovers, either eaten straight up or repurposed into another dish. These pork chops would be great cubed and added to a grain bowl or added to a stir fry towards the end, just to heat through. A stir-fried rice meal could be built on planned leftover honey garlic pork chops for sure. Thinly sliced, they would make delicious east-meets-west soft shell tacos.