Smoked Smothered Pork Chops are tender, delicious and covered in onion gravy. They're prepped on a stove, then cooked until tender on a smoker grill.
Place paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Stir to combine. Pat pork chops dry using paper towel; sprinkle both sides of meat with spice mix, pressing spices into meat to adhere.
Heat oil in large oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat, until very hot. Add pork chops in single layer; cook each side 3-4 minutes, until well browned. Transfer pork chops from skillet to a plate & keep warm. Do NOT clean out skillet!
Add butter to same skillet; melt on medium heat. Add sliced onions; cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Stir in thyme and minced garlic; cook for 30 additional seconds. Add 1 cup beef broth to skillet (reserving remaining 2 Tablespoons for later). Add bay leaves and stir well, scraping up the browned bits from bottom of skillet while it cooks. Bring to a simmer; transfer pork chops back into skillet. Spoon sauce and onions over pork chops. Remove skillet from stove; cover it with aluminum foil.
Preheat smoker to 300°F according to manufacturer instructions. Once at temp., place foil-covered skillet onto grill grate. Close smoker lid; let cook, (undisturbed) for 1 hour and 45 minutes, until pork chops are tender.
When done, remove skillet from smoker; transfer pork chops (meat only) to a plate. Cover with foil to keep them hot. Place a large strainer on top of a medium-sized bowl. Pour sauce and onions from skillet through strainer. Sauce will run through strainer into bowl below. Onions will remain in strainer. Discard bay leaf. Place onions in small bowl. Remove any accumulated fat from surface of sauce. Place ⅔ cup of the sauce back into the skillet. Bring to a low simmer. In separate bowl, whisk reserved 2 Tablespoons beef broth and cornstarch until smooth. Add to sauce in skillet; whisk to combine. Sauce will slightly thicken as it cooks for about a minute. Once sauce thickens, add onions; stir to combine. **If desired, season gravy with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Place a pork chop onto each plate, and generously top each one with onion gravy. Serve, and enjoy!
Smoked Smothered Pork Chops https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/smoked-smothered-pork-chops/