Season the pork chops: Mix the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this seasoning blend on both sides of each pork chop, and then set them aside on a plate.

Brown up the pork chops: Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a large pan or skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pan/skillet is hot add the pork chops. Let them cook on one side for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are nicely browned up. Then flip each pork chop over and let them cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove the pork chops from the pan/skillet and set them aside on a plate. Don’t worry if the pork chops aren’t fully cooked as they will finish cooking in the smothering sauce.

Sautee onion and garlic: Keep your pan/skillet over medium-high heat and toss in the butter. Once it has melted toss in the sliced onion and saute it for roughly 5 minutes or until it becomes softened and translucent. Then add the minced garlic and continue to saute for another minute.

Make the smothering sauce: Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the onions and garlic. Stir everything together until the flour mixes with the butter/oil and forms a paste/roux. Continue to stir for another minute or until the paste/roux has become slightly tan in color. Then pour roughly ¼ to ½ cup of chicken stock into the pan/skillet and stir so that it incorporates with the paste/roux. Pour another ¼ to ½ cup of stock and stir until thoroughly combined. Repeat this process until all of the chicken stock is added and there are no lumps in the smothering sauce. Finally, add a few sprigs of thyme if you are using them, and stir them into the sauce.

Finish the dish: Reduce the heat so that the sauce stays at a simmer. Then return the browned pork chops to your pan/skillet so that they are sitting in the sauce. Let the pork chops finish cooking in the sauce for another 10 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chops) or until their internal temperature reaches at least 145℉/63℃. If at any point the sauce reduces too much and becomes thicker than you like you can add a splash or two of water.

Place each pork chop on individual plates, pour some of the smothering sauce along with the onions overtop, and enjoy!