Dutch Oven Milk-Braised Pork Chops
Bone-in chops held an hour in powdered milk and coals until the sauce goes brown and sticky.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 8.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 73
- protein
- 44 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 70 min
- total time
- 80 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Dutch oven
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Bone-in pork chops | 4 | about 1 inch thick; they ride in the cooler |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | |
| Whole milk powder | 3/4 cup | reconstitutes to about 1 1/2 cups |
| Heavy cream powder | 1/3 cup | sold as sweet cream powder |
| Baking soda | 1/4 tsp | |
| Granulated garlic | 1 tbsp | |
| Dried thyme | 1 tsp | |
| Salt | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | |
| Water | 600 ml |
Method
- Burn a fire down to coals. Set the dutch oven on a grate or a flat bed of coals and give it five minutes to heat.
- Salt and pepper the chops on both sides. Add the oil to the pot and sear them two at a time, 3 to 5 minutes a side. Pull them onto a plate or a lid.
- Whisk the milk powder, cream powder, baking soda, garlic, and thyme into 600 ml of water in a bottle or cup until no lumps are left. Pour it into the hot pot and scrape the brown bits off the bottom.
- Bring it to a bare simmer. Rake most of the coals out from under the pot so it does not boil hard.
- Return the chops and any juice, put the lid on, and hold it at a simmer for 45 minutes. Check every 15 minutes and move coals as needed.
- Take the chops out. Set the pot back over more heat and simmer uncovered until the sauce is the color of caramel and thick enough to coat a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon it over the meat.
Braising in milk sounds unlikely until you see what an hour does to it. The milk proteins break down and brown, and the sauce ends up dark and thick without any flour. The original does this with fresh milk and heavy cream, which is not a thing you carry. Whole milk powder and sweet cream powder reconstitute close enough and live in a bag on the shelf.
The baking soda is not optional. It nudges the pH up so the milk browns instead of breaking into curds, which is what plain simmered milk does. The other rule is heat: a hard boil will split the sauce no matter what you add, so pull coals until it barely moves. Fresh garlic and thyme sprigs became granulated garlic and dried thyme, going in with the liquid rather than sitting on top.
Packing
Combine the milk powder, cream powder, baking soda, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper at home in one bag. Chops go in the cooler in a zip bag, flat against the ice.
Variations
- A cup of instant mashed potato flakes stirred into a bowl of the sauce turns leftovers into a second meal.
- Chicken thighs work on the same timeline and are cheaper.
- No cream powder: use a full cup of milk powder and an extra tablespoon of oil.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/milk-braised-pork-chops