Milk-Braised Pork Chops

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 250 F.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet. Add chops and brown on both sides.

4. Arrange chops in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish and add enough of the milk so it comes halfway up the sides of the meat. Add the whole garlic cloves and rubbed sage.

5. Tightly cover baking dish with foil and place in the center of the oven. Cook for 45 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, turn chops over, re-cover, and return to oven for another 45 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, thoroughly mix together the butter and flour in a small bowl (this is called a beurre manié).

8. Set chops on a plate and keep warm. Pour the pan juices into a blender and puree until smooth.

9. Pour the puree into a skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

10. Add the beurre manié a bit at a time until it's all used, continuing to stir until thickened. Taste, adjust the seasonings, and serve over chops.

    Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

    Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

About Milk Braising

Most braising liquids include stocks, wine, beer, or just plain old water. Braising in milk exists in many cultures and is thought to have originated in Italy with pork. But, certainly, the technique exists in Thai and other Asian cuisines where coconut milk is used and, undoubtedly, goat milk in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine.

It is believed milk’s lactic acid tenderizes the pork, making it receptive to soaking up the flavors in the sauce. The pan juices become a sort of milk gravy. 

A similar recipe that takes much less time is skillet pork chops in milk gravy. The pork isn't braised in the liquid, but the end result is a juicy pork chop with a nice crust that is smothered in a rich sauce.