My Favorite Method for Cooking Juicy Pork Chops Breaks All the Rules
If I’m out at a restaurant and see a pork chop on the menu, I have to order it. So many years ago, while out to dinner at Diner in Brooklyn, I had a life-changing meal that helped me understand the power of the pork chop. Before that night I had cast aside the cut as dry and bland — the lesser steak or chicken that always mildly disappointed. I quickly realized that perhaps I had just grown up eating pork chops prepared in a way that didn’t set them up for success (sorry, Mom).
The method I now swear by — the same one that won by a landslide in our pork chop cooking showdown — rethinks the humble chop by giving it the royal treatment: Cook it like you would a steak. Yes, we’re going to pan-sear the chop (after brining), then baste it with butter so it takes on the highly coveted crusty outside and so-juicy inside reminiscent of a high-quality ribeye. (I promise this technique does not yield a dry bite!)
Get the recipe: Pan-Fried Pork Chop
How to Make a Pan-Fried Pork Chop
First, you want to tenderize your chop, with a pro tip from our former editor Megan Splawn’s grandma: Prick it all over like a potato! It’ll help the brine permeate the meat. Then it’s time to brine, which people get intimidated by just because of the name, but it’s truly so easy. Stick the chops in a zip-top bag; add water, brown sugar, and salt; and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to let the meat get seasoned from the inside out. That’s the brining step! The brown sugar will also help caramelization happen once you’re at the pan-searing stage (the more caramelization, the better your crust).
Time to cook: Heat your cast iron skillet until it’s smoking, then add the chop and sear 1 minute. You’re gonna keep flipping every minute until the pork chop is cooked through — this is where the method veers away from steak. The conventional wisdom is to not disturb the filet once it hits the hot pan, but pork chops, as we all probably know, do have a high likelihood of drying out, so we’re gonna try to mitigate that as much as possible by cooking them as evenly as possible (no spot left behind). Now’s the fun part: Butter! Add a few pats and baste the chop like it’s a fancy steak.
What Makes Pan-Frying a Pork Chop So Good
This technique gives the humble pork chop the respect it deserves; why should steak have all the fun? The pan-frying technique guarantees a supremely crusty outside, a juicy and tender inside, and so much flavor from the double whammy of a brown sugar brine and butter baste. It doesn’t require any additional sauce or special seasoning; it’s perfect as is. After the first bite, you’ll also understand the power a pork chop holds. Ready?!
Get the recipe: Pan-Fried Pork Chop
Further Reading
We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
