San Francisco Pork Chops

San Francisco Pork Chops is one of those recipes that makes you pause and ask… why is it called that? I honestly have no idea. My best guess is that the soy-based sauce gave it a “San Francisco” feel back in the day, and the name just stuck.

What I do know is that this recipe has been around my family for as long as I can remember. I’m fairly certain my mom pulled it from a magazine sometime in the early 90s, tucked it into her rotation, and never looked back. It showed up on busy weeknights, worked every single time, and was always one of those meals that everyone was happy to eat.

San Francisco Pork Chops are simple, full of flavor, and the kind of dinner you can throw together without overthinking it.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 38

Course Main Course, Pork, Weeknight Meals

Cuisine American, Southern Comfort Food

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Heavy Skillet with a Lid (Cast Iron or Stainless Steel is perfect here)

Ingredients

4 Thick Pork Chops
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce

4 tablespoon olive oil
8 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
½ tablespoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoon cold water
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 pkg egg noodles

Instructions

Trim any excessive fat from chops. Pat dry and season chops with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in your skillet. Add pork chops and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side until they get a nice brown crust. Remove chops from pan, set aside on a plate.
Combine sauce ingredients (Except water and cornstarch) in a small bowl.
Add oil to pan if needed, sauté garlic for 20-30 seconds until fragrant. Don't let it burn.
Add sauce to the pan with garlic, stir to combine and place chops and any juices from the plate back into the pan. Cover the pan tightly and simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.
Remove Pork Chops from the pan to a platter, lightly cover while sauce is being finished.
If the sauce is thin, mix the slurry ingredients together and add to the pan, bring to a boil while stirring. If it gets too thick, add a little water.
Pour sauce over the pork chops, serve with egg noodles.

Notes

San Francisco Pork Chops is one of those back-pocket recipes that never lets you down. It’s quick, built from simple ingredients, and turns out the kind of dinner everyone actually wants to eat.

The real star of San Francisco Pork Chops is the sauce. It’s savory with a little sweetness, and it soaks into the meat in the best way. Pork chops are the classic choice here and they work beautifully, but this recipe isn’t limited to just that. The same sauce is just as good with chicken thighs, and it’s especially good with flank steak if you want something a little different.

San Francisco Pork Chops is flexible, reliable, and exactly the kind of meal you’ll find yourself coming back to on busy nights when you need something that just works.