January 5, 2010 | Meat & Poultry, Popular, Technique
I’m on a pork kick. Not sure whether it’s because the half hog I got from my farm this year tastes so superior to any store bought meat I’ve ever purchased, or whether the incredible porchetta I had in San Francisco a couple months ago just launched me on this culinary trajectory. Who knows, but I’m hooked on all things pork. Pork shoulder slow cooked then turned into an incredible Green Chili Posole, thick slabs of bacon cooked on baking sheets in the oven and used to top Corn Chowder, or as I promised yesterday, the perfectly pan-seared pork-chop.
Let’s get a couple of things straight. Perfectly cooked pork is still slightly pink in the center, cooked to a nice medium, not cooked to shoe leather well done as you might remember it being cooked in the ’60s. If you’re still concerned about diseases, buy your meat from a reputable local source and then enjoy cooking it to the right temperature. My husband thought he hated pork – turns out he just hates overcooked, dry pork. And really, who wouldn’t?
Start by patting your chops dry and sprinkling them very liberally with salt and pepper. When the only seasoning to be added is salt and pepper, you want to be sure there is enough of it.
Heat your skillet to medium high and add the olive oil. When it’s shimmering hot and not a moment before, add your chops. [Did I forget to put pepper on the second side of these chops or did I just snap the shot before I did?] Sear on one side, without moving them at all, until they are nice and golden brown on the first side, about 3-5 minutes. My chops come bone-in from the farm, and cooking anything bone-in creates the most flavor. I leave the bone and all of the fat while I cook them, then cut the meat from the bone and trim the fat before serving it.
Flip and sear the other side until browned. At this point my mom used to cover the pan and let the chops cook all the way through, but I remove them from the heat and let them rest for a few minutes before cutting into them. Not sure how to tell how done a chop or steak is? The pros do it by feel and a steak or chop cooked medium should have a slight resistance when you press on it with your finger but not feel hard and solid. I know that’s hard to envision – it just takes practice.
And that, my dear friends, is how you perfectly pan sear a pork chop! Serve it with Homemade Applesaucefor a real treat. You made the applesauce didn’t you?! Promise me you gave it a try!
- 2 pork chops, preferably bone in
- salt and pepper, to taste
- olive oil, for searing
- Pat chops dry and sprinke them very liberally with salt and pepper. Heat your skillet to medium high and add the olive oil. When it’s shimmering hot and not a moment before, add your chops. Sear on one side, without moving them at all, until they are nice and golden brown on the first side, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and sear the other side until browned. Remove them from the heat and let them rest, wrapped in foil, for a few minutes before cutting into them.
This is a great post–very informative. I just made pork chops the other night and they turned out pretty well but ever so sligthly overdone. I’m with you…pork should be sligthly pink, otherwise it’s tough.
i got a bit dangerous and under cooked it…i also added seasoned salt and paprika to the spices…it was d-lish
The USDA changed the cooking guideline for cooking pork from an internal temp of 160 to an internal temp of 145 with a 3 min rest.
I personally do a minimum of a 5 min rest for any meats, the temp will continue to rise during the rest and it redistributes the juices. Ever wonder why you cut into a steak and your plate is then full of juice? You forget to let it rest!
hi josh, please don’t ever cook pork to 160! that went out years ago. all the bad stuff is killed at 138. so if you cook it to 140-145, let it rest. you are safe and have moist pork.
Haha Josh WAS saying that you don’t need to cook it to 160!!!! Read a little more carefully next time
I love this recipe. It was so juicy and flavorful. Thank you. I use to over cook mine.
Hi Michele,
We made the pork chops just as you suggested above. My husband stated that it was in fact THE BEST pork chop he’s ever eaten. We usually shy away from pork because my pork chops tend to be dry.
Thanks for sharing!
Tessa
thanks, I was unaware that pork no longer needed to be cooked to 160! I look forward to good properly cooked pork chops from now on.
These were so good and juicy that I didn’t even need any kind of sauce like I normally do with pork chops
Now I remember that you’ve also purchased a pig. We’ve been in pork heaven here, too. We don’t have chops all that often, but this is pretty similar to the way I cook mine as well. I’m laughing because the whole idea of the lid going over the pan to let them cook through is how my mother taught me to cook them as well. Definitely not a great idea for chops!
amazing! I’ve tried on several occasions to sear pork and each time it has turned out dry and leathery. This was perfect! So easy and it was delicious! many thanks.
Wow! Normally we grill our pork chops as we live in the South, but we ran out of propane – Disaster! I’m 52 years old and never pan seared a pork chop in my life. This was really good. I had two thick cut bone in chops. When done browning, I added some Paula Deen’s bourbon sauce to the top of the chops while they rested. Soooo good. Also tossed some seasoned and marinated zuchinni quarters into the skillet after I flipped them. They were crunchy and cooked perfectly after resting.
Just used this recipe for my spicy pork chops. Wow!
So simple and so good! Just cooked them for the first time tonight and they turned out perfectly! I will play with an apple relish next time!
Thanks!
Pete
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Dude… It’s better to be safe than sorry when cooking pork. You can get it to 160 without drying it out.
Jay, I appreciate your input, but even the USDA has lowered the recommended cooking temperature for pork to 145 degrees. If you buy quality meat, you shouldn’t have any problem at this temp!
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Absolutely delicious! These were the best pork chops I have ever had. So moist and juicy, no sauce needed this time! Thanks for sharing the tips!
All I can say is W O W these were the best porkchops I have ever prepared. I purchased 2 bone-in THICK porkloin chops,came home & googled up this recipe. Must have been my LUCKY day! I only seasoned with salt, pepper, & a tad of garlic powder. Bye bye dry chops….these were a WINNER to our tastebuds. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thank you so much… best chops ive ever been able to cook myself.
So moist and juicy…. THANKS again!
Brett
5 Stars! Used this recipe this morning and made the best pork chops ever!!
Thank you for sharing.
Also add some garlic powder and you will be amazed how it tastes.
I’m nervous to cook it slightly pink, but I’m willing to risk possible food sickness if it makes my pork chops any better lol. I understand could temps and I know what your saying is true. but coming from doing it one way for so long it makes me nervous lol.