Smothered pork chops

I can't take credit for the image-I keep forgetting to take pictures when I cook! The recipe is from CooksIllustrated.com, where I copied the picture from. It's one of our new favorite recipes. We love to serve the pork chops with mashed potatoes because it makes a yummy gravy. Enjoy!

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS
3 oz bacon (about 3 slices) cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 T flour
1 3/4 c low-sodium chicken broth
vegetable oil
4 pork chops, about 1/2-3/4" thick

ground black pepper
2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and sliced thinly

salt
2 T water
2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves (optional)
1 T minced fresh parsley (optional)

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat dry pork chops with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place pork chops in skillet and fry until browned, flip over and brown on second side. Remove pork chops to plate and set aside. Add another 1 T oil to skillet, turn heat to medium or medium-low (if your stove runs hot), and heat to shimmering. Add onions and fry, stirring frequently, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 T water and scrape bottom of pan to get any crispy bits. Remove onions to bowl and set aside. Add bacon to pan and fry until crispy. Remove bacon, but leave grease in pan (should have a tablespoon or two of grease in pan from bacon--if not, add some vegetable oil). Add flour to bacon grease and cook, stirring frequently, until flour is golden, just a few minutes. Whisk in chicken broth and let simmer just a couple of minutes, until gravy begins to thicken a little. Add bay leaves if desired. Put pork chops back in pan in gravy mixture and set onions on top of each pork chop. Simmer until pork chops register 135 on instant-read thermometer (DON'T overcook the pork--it will be dry and chewy! 135 is a safe temperature to remove from pan, and pork will continue to cook on plate while resting--pork will be rosy inside, which is OK). Remove pork chops to plate and tent with foil. Simmer gravy a little longer, until thickened, then serve alongside pork chops. Sprinkle chops with fresh parsley if desired. Serves 4 (unless your 7-year-old eats 2 pork chops!).