Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Chops

Thirty-five years. Rosetta and I, married since May 5th, 1984, which is longer than most empires last and feels shorter than a single shoulder smoke when I think about it hard enough. Thirty-five years of showing up. Thirty-five years of the dance, the ribeyes, the Dollar General candles. Thirty-five years of the best decision I ever made in a Buick Regal in the Peabody parking lot.

This year I made the ribeyes with a compound butter — butter mixed with roasted garlic, fresh thyme, and a whisper of smoked salt — placed on top of the steaks right when they came off the cast iron, so the butter melted into the crust and created a richness that was almost indecent. The smoked gouda mac was its annual perfected self. And for dessert, I tried the chocolate lava cake again, and this time the centers were properly molten, which I attribute to experience and Rosetta attributes to the timer she set without telling me.

We danced in the kitchen. Same shuffle, same circle, same linoleum. "Thirty-five years, Earl." "The best thirty-five." "They better be." The script is the same. The meaning deepens. The dance is the marriage in miniature: moving together, slowly, in a small space, without music, trusting that the rhythm you share is enough.

Now, the ribeyes and the lava cake are anniversary food—they live in their own sacred category, and I wouldn’t dare hand that recipe over to a Tuesday. But Rosetta would tell you that the meal I come back to week after week, the one that fills the house with that low smoky heat while we’re off doing other things, is these Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Chops. There’s something right about a dish that does its best work slowly, without being watched—kind of reminds me of a good marriage. You set it up right, you trust the process, and you come back to something that’s better than you expected.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 6 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch thick (roughly 2 1/2 lbs total)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the can)
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh cilantro or sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Season the chops. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Combine the cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then rub the mixture evenly over both sides of each chop.
Optional sear for extra flavor. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chops 2 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. This step is optional but adds a deeper, richer flavor to the finished dish.
Build the slow-cooker base. Spread the sliced onions and minced garlic across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Lay the pork chops on top in a single layer.
Mix and pour the sauce. Stir together the minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and fire-roasted tomatoes in a bowl. Pour the mixture evenly over the pork chops, making sure the tops are well coated.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.
Rest and serve. Carefully transfer the chops to a platter. Spoon the pan juices and onions over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro or sliced green onions if desired. Serve alongside rice, mashed potatoes, or warm tortillas.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Chops — Low-and-Slow Love, Just Like 35 Years of Marriage