Pork Chopapalooza!
Pork Chop basics:
Food safe temperature – min 145F internal temperature
350 = 35 mins
375 = 22-25 mins
400 = 17-19 (7 min (8 bone in) per 1/2″) mins
450 = 14-16 mins
cook longer at higher elevation
PRO TIPS:
Do I let the meat rest and warm up on the counter? Sometimes. It lets meat cook more evenly, especially for really lean meat like pork and bison.
Trim off excess fat (leave a thin cap, 1/4″) and do something fun with it, like [pan fry until golden brown and crispy.
Score the fat on the chop so the chop stays flat while cooking. “scoring” is cutting completely through the fat.
I rarely use marinades or brines for pork chops because the usual recipes I use are already loaded with flavour and my pork comes out perfectly cooked , juicy, and tender every time.
Marinades – I avoid using salt, overnight is good, 2-10 hours is ideal, anything is better than nothing . Crushed garlic, fresh sage, rosemary, oil, vinegar, are classic components.
Brines – something like 2 tbsp each sugar and salt, dissolve in 2 cups of water, and whatever flavouring you want – peppercorns, lemon wedges, rosemary, sage, thyme, are all great things to add (1 tbsp of each, and half a lemon is about right). Refrigerate overnight.
Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
Spice mix
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
Pork Chops
- 4 boneless pork chops, 1.25 - 1.5 inch thick is best
- 2 tbsp olive oil ( extra virgin if you want )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Whisk the spices together
- Trim the fat on the edge of the chops down to about 1/4 inch. You can pan fry the fat later if that's your thing.
- Score the fat caps on the chops every half inch. This means to cut completely through the fat This prevents the chops from curling up because of how the fat cooks.
- Coat the chops in the olive oil.
- Rub each side of the chops in the spice mix.
- Place the chops close together (almost touching) in a baking dish. Too much space can dry out the chops. Drizzle any remaining oil and spice mix over the chops.
- Bake uncovered for approximately 18 minutes (internal temperature 140-145F).
- Let rest for 5minutes, then serve.
Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Ingredients
- 4 pork chops, 1.25" - 1.5" thick ( I prefer boneless )
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp white vinegar (rice wine, apple cider, white wine, etc)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 390F (200C)
- Trim the fat off the side of the chops so it's around 1/4" thick, and score (cut completely through the fat) every 1"2 inch
- Pat dry the chops with paper towel, and season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe pan (cast iron is ideal) at medium heat.
- Before the oil starts smoking, cook the fat side of the chops by holding the chops on their sides with tongs for 2-3 minutes (until golden brown). You can cook 2 at a time like this. Set the cooked chops aside.
- Cook the chops on medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. You might need to lower the heat, depending on your stove.
- Set the cooked chops aside, and lower the heat to medium-low.
- Put the butter in the pan, scrape off any caramelized bits, and stir the butter into the bits until everything is incorporated. Feel free to add another teaspoon of butter if needed.
- Sautee the garlic until fragrant and turns a little brown, approx 30 seconds.
- Add the honey, chicken broth (or water), and vinegar.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook until it thickens, approx 3-4 minutes.
- Return the chops to the pan, baste thoroughly, and put the pan in the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges get a slight char.
- Remove, and serve (the chops have already rested before being sauced up).
The final recipe was just pan frying the pork chops.
Prepare the chops like the honey-garlic recipe, score and cook the fat side in heated oil over medium heat.
Fry one side for 4 minutes, flip, and cook another 2 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium-low, add crushed garlic (peeled or not) and 2 tbsp unsalted butter to the pan. Let the butter foam up, then add whatever aromatics you want – lemon zest (orange works), rosemary, sage, thyme, to the butter for 30 seconds, then start basting the chops with all the wonderful things you added to the pan. It helps to keep the pan tilted while you’re adding the aromatics to the butter, and while you’re basting.
The chops should be 145F at this point (check it), remove the chops from the pan, and let rest 5-7 minutes before serving.
You can cover the chops with the sauce in the pan, or drizzle some right before you serve.
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