I’ve never had much success with pork chops; I love the flavor of “the other white meat”, but I’ve had too many dried out chops to count. Yes, brining and maranating helps, but sometimes you just need a really quick, yet elegant meal, in say, twenty minutes. Is that even possible? I read this deceptively simple recipe from Epicurious, appropriately dubbed, “Your New Favorite Pork Chops”, for pan seared, bone-in chops that cooked in 15 minutes.
Let’s just say that I have made these three times in the past fortnight, and every time, they have been perfection! I love a new pork favorite. In the grand scheme of things, they are healthy to boot. As a side note, unlike beef, pork needs to be cooked beyond rare. The recipe recommends checking the meat for an internal completed temperature of 135 degrees. Letting the chops set for 5 minutes will bring the finished temperature to 145 degrees. I did not do a temperature check, but rather, followed the cooking time exactly and ended up with a perfect product. You will be missing out if you do not give these a try! This recipe makes two servings, but can easily be doubled, or tripled.
Easy Pan Seared Pork Chops
2 bone-in pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick, and about 10 ounces each
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
3-4 sprigs fresh sage
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 Tbsp. butter
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until smoking hot. Pat the pork chops with a paper towel to remove any moisture and generously salt and pepper both sides. Add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet and carefully place both chops in the skillet; note the time. You want to sear these chops continuously for 10 minutes, turning them over every minute. This goes against all your natural inclinations to let searing meat lie, but you just have to trust the process. If the chops are smaller, only go 8 minutes.
At the end of 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and add the pat of butter, the crushed garlic cloves and the sage sprigs. It will foam up and get bubbly. Tilt the pan and spoon the juices over the pork chops several times, placing the garlic and sage on top as well. Remove the chops from the pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Be sure to pour the collected pan juices over the chops for extra flavor! Makes 2 servings.
