Pork Chops are an underrated delight. They’re cheap. They’re delicious. AND AND….AND! They’re easy to make.
First, what the hell is a chop? Per the interwebs (wikipedia) it’s: a cut of meat cut perpendicularly to the spine, and usually containing a rib or riblet part of a vertebra and served as an individual portion
The reason why I think most people are “meh” to pork chops is that you usually have them and they’re dry. The trick to a good juicy pork chop is not overcooking it. Why would pork be overcooked? For a long time, it was a risky measure to eat under cooked pork, but why? That’s because pork can contain a parasite called Trichinella Spiralis, which came from larval cysts that sat in scraps of meat being fed to pigs. However due to reformed feeding practices of swine, not many pigs are fed meat any more so the risk is low. But still, not many people want to run the risks of getting parasitic worms, I get it. My recommendation is buying your pork chops from a good butcher/grocer that can guarantee the pig was not fed animal scraps, and then I would say you could pretty safely bite into a under-cooked pork chop.
The beauty of this dish though is that even if you’re still scared of eating under cooked pork, this dish will still taste awesome to you. The reason being? Uh delicious pan frying, that’s what. By pan frying the pork chop, you lock in all the flavor and you have a delicious crispy exterior. I recommend serving this with some fresh mashed potatoes and apple sauce.
Recipe – Home-style Pork Chops
Ingredients
1 Pork Chop (Boneless)
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 Stick of Butter
Fresh Thyme Sprigs
Fresh Sage Sprigs
1/2 Tsp. Ground Sage
1/4 Tsp. White Pepper
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Thyme
Method
Step 1 – Mix all of your dry ingredients together.
Step 2- Dredge the pork chops into the flour mixture, if you like a thick crust, go for a second dip.
Step 3- In a heavy bottom non-stick pan (or a really well seasoned cast iron you trust), heat the butter until it begins to foam (test with a piece of flour see if it sizzles).
Step 4- Carefully lay the meat into the pan, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes aside (depending on how you like your pork cooked, cook a bit longer). Rare internal temp is 145 F that’s the recommended minimum. Well done is considered 160 F. If you’re worried about overcooking the crust, once it’s reached the level of browning you want, finish it in a warm oven set at 350F.
Step 5- Once you’ve removed the pork, add in your sage and thyme and swirl it around the remaining butter. Use this to top your pork and other sides with if you want *this step is optional obviously*
Step – Enjoy!
- 1 Pork Chop (Boneless)
- 1/2 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Stick of Butter
- Fresh Thyme Sprigs
- Fresh Sage Sprigs
- 1/2 Tsp. Ground Sage
- 1/4 Tsp. White Pepper
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Thyme
- Step 1 – Mix all of your dry ingredients together.
- Step 2- Dredge the pork chops into the flour mixture, if you like a thick crust, go for a second dip.
- Step 3- In a heavy bottom non-stick pan (or a really well seasoned cast iron you trust), heat the butter until it begins to foam (test with a piece of flour see if it sizzles).
- Step 4- Carefully lay the meat into the pan, cook for about 2 to 3 minutes aside (depending on how you like your pork cooked, cook a bit longer). Rare internal temp is 145 F that’s the recommended minimum. Well done is considered 160 F. If you’re worried about overcooking the crust, once it’s reached the level of browning you want, finish it in a warm oven set at 350F.
- Step 5- Once you’ve removed the pork, add in your sage and thyme and swirl it around the remaining butter. Use this to top your pork and other sides with if you want *this step is optional obviously*
- Step – Enjoy!
