Sear And Bake Pork Chops

Seared Pork Chops With Brussels Sprouts Slaw

If youve been looking for an easy pork chop recipe, look no further. These pork chops with Brussels sprouts slaw is a quick, healthy, and tasty dinner option. Youll love sinking your teeth into this delicious meal featuring succulent pork chops accompanied by a crunchy slaw of thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and shaved fennel tossed with apple cider vinegar. Its a fast prep, low cal meal that will leave you satisfied and happy.

Best Way To Sear Pork Chops

Seared pork chops are tasty, and getting a good sear is pretty simple. It all starts by bringing your chops to room temperature before cooking. Cooking cold meat creates more condensation and steam, so you end up boiling the outside of the meat rather than getting a crispy sear. Once your meat is at room temperature, or at the very least has been out of the fridge for 30-40 minutes, its time to cook it. The other seared pork chops tips are to get the pan really hot before placing the meat in it and to let the meat cook fully on each side before moving it. The high heat and steady cooking will give you the best sear on your pan-fried pork chops.

How Do You Sear A Pork Chop Before Grilling

Sear the chops using high heat. Place the pork chops on the hottest part of the grate, directly above the coals. Sear all the chops for about three minutes per side, turning only once, until they develop a brown crust. If the grill flares up, temporarily move the chops away from the coals until the flames die down.

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How To Pick A Pork Chop

Pork chops come from the loin section of the hog. Here are some of the most common cuts you will find in the supermarket butcher department:

• Loin chop : also called porterhouse pork chop, this chop looks like a T-bone beef steak
• Top loin chop : also called New York pork chop or center-cut chop

How To Test Pork Chops For Doneness

To check the temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the chop . The thickness of a pork chop will determine its final cooking time, regardless of whether it’s boneless or bone-in. Chops typically range in thickness from ¾ inch to 1½ inches. The USDA updated its doneness guidelines in 2011, noting that pork cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit is just as safe as pork cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At this doneness, the pork is pinker than many people are used to, but the meat is juicier and more flavorful. If you’d rather, you can always cook your pork chop to the previous standard of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep your pork chop cravings satisfied beyond the oven. Allow your pork chops to get super tender with some of our favorite slow cooker pork recipes. Or get light, flavorful pork chops with these air fryer pork recipes.

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How To Choose Your Chops

For most pork chop preparations, look for bone-in pork chops about 1.5-inches thick. Why go with bone-in? Well, the bone actually slows the cooking time. We’re not talking long, just a few minutes. But even a few minutes can spell the difference between moist, tender pork chops with tasty sear marks and dry, tight-textured chops.

Of course, thinner, boneless pork chops are still a great option, just keep an eye on them they’ll cook fast. In fact, for stuffed pork chops and quick-cooking breaded pork chops, you might prefer boneless. Look for thicker boneless chops for stuffed chops and thinner boneless loin chops for breaded recipes.

How To Pan Fry Pork Chops

This section shows how to cook pork chops in a pan, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For instructions, see the full recipe card below.

• Bring to room temperature. If you have time, remove the pork chops from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking, which will help them cook more evenly.
• Make pork chop seasoning. Stir together the pork chop seasoning ingredients.

• Pat dry. Patting the pork chops with a paper towel before seasoning will help the seasonings stick better.
• Season pork chops generously. Season both sides of the pork chop with the dry rub.

TIP: Use 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound. My four pork chops were 8 ounces each, so I used 2 tablespoons of seasoning total.

• Cook pork chops. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet and add pork chops in a single layer to the hot pan. Sear until golden brown, then flip and continue pan searing until cooked through .

TIP: Let them rest. Transfer pork chops from pan right away so they dont continue cooking, then cover with foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes to let the juices settle before you cut into them.

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How Can You Tell If Porkchops Are Done

While you are cooking the pork chops, feel their firmness by poking them with your tongs or spatula. If they are still very soft they are still raw in the middle. If they are extremely firm they are very well done. You want to finish cooking the chops when they are firm, but not overly hard or leather-like.

How To Cook Pork Chops In The Oven

According to Fernandez, perfectly baked pork chops require a wet marinade. You can use your favorite store-bought sauce or whip something up with a few pantry staples.

“One of my favorite marinade recipes is simple to create at home with simple ingredients,” Fernandez told TODAY. “Combine onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, kosher salt and extra virgin olive oil.” Marinate the chops for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight .

• How long should pork chops cook in the oven?

After you lay the pork chops on out on a pan, it should take 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees for them to cook.

• Make sure your pork chops are done.

Aside from using a meat thermometer, “the best way to tell if the pork chop is done is to feel the center and test its resistance,” Fernandez said. “Youre looking for ‘medium’ which will feel like the base of your thumb when you press your thumb and ring fingers together.”

If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 145 degrees.

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Characteristics Of Perfect Pork Chops

There are a few important elements I look for in the perfect pork chops:

• Internal juiciness is the most important to me. After having spent an entire childhood full of dry, well-done pork chops, I never want another person to have to experience that particular form of torture again.
• Evenness of internal cooking. I want my chops to be juicy the whole way through, with no dry, stringy edges. The temperature gradient within the chop should be minimized as much as reasonably possible.
• A deep, dark, crisp crust, because what good is a moist interior without a crisp crust to contrast it? Browning also builds up complex flavors, making the chops taste meatier and emphasizing their sweet porkiness.

So here’s the thing: Internal juiciness is almost entirely related to the final temperature to which you cook your meat. The hotter it gets, the dryer it becomes. Here’s a rough outline of what happens in that chop as you cook it:

So when cooking a pork chop, the goal should be to keep as much of it in that 120 to 140°F sweet spot as possible.

On the other hand, searing requires extremely high heat in order to produce the browned colors and flavors we love so much. The so-called Maillard browning reactions, named after the 20th century French chemist who first described them, only take place to a significant degree at high temperatureswe’re talking in the 350°F+ range.

How To Prepare Pork Chops Before Cooking

• Buy a marbled chop.

You already know you don’t want a lean pork chop, but you don’t want just any old kind of fat when it comes to chops. “I believe, especially in meat, that fat is flavor,” said Nosrat. “But there are different kinds of fat in meat.” When looking for pork chops, the kind of fat to focus on is intramuscular fat the variety that’s responsible for marbling. Nosrat advised looking for a breed of hog known for its marbling or just going to the butcher counter at the grocery store and asking for a very marbled pork chop.

• Bone-in is best.

Boneless pork chops often come from the end of the pork loin that’s less fatty, so Nosrat recommended choosing bone-in pork chops, particularly T-bone style chops. “The ones that are specifically the T-Bone kind are from the part of the loin that is really the most flavorful,” she said.

Maple Glazed Pork T-Bone Chops with Butternut Squash Purée by Ryan Scott

• Check the color.

When choosing pork chops, look for ones that are rosy rather than pale pink. “Paler meat is a sign that it comes from one of the more heavily bred breeds that are about yielding more meat total and not necessarily having the highest quality meat,” said Nosrat. “So you want something that has a nice rose-pink, rather than something that’s paler.”

• Choose quality over quantity.

A pasture-raised, heritage pork chop may cost more than a typical supermarket chop, a little bit of that flavorful, marbled meat goes a long way.

• Salt the meat in advance.

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How Long To Grill Pork Chops

Grill your pork chops for 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your chop and the temperature of your grill. The best way to ensure peak deliciousness is to cook by temperature with a digital meat thermometer. Pork chops are best enjoyed when cooked to an internal temperature of 145° F followed by a three-minute rest.

During grilling season, nothing beats a juicy pork chop sizzling on the grill. From a weeknight dinner solution to a weekend cookout with friends, and with a variety of seasonings and side dish options, your grill will be busy all summer long.

Sear Pork Chops Before Baking

The real key for irresistible oven-baked pork chops is searing them in a skillet first. In an extra-large skillet, heat one tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add two bone-in chops or up to four boneless pork chops. Cook for six minutes or until the surfaces are gorgeously browned. Flip the chops as needed for an even sear. Doing this step before baking makes a big difference because of the Maillard reaction it causes, which creates extra flavor and deliciousness.

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Why Are My Pork Chops Always Tough

Because pork chops are such a lean cut, they are relatively quick-cooking and prone to overcooking. When they’re cooked for even a few minutes too long, whether it’s in the oven or on the stovetop or grill, they’re quick to dry out, and you guessed it become tough, chewy, and less than appealing.

Choosing The Best Chops

All pork chops are cut out of the same basic part of the pig: the loin, a large muscle that runs along its back from the shoulder to its butt.* Depending on where the chops are cut from, they’ll have slightly different cooking qualities.** At the butcher or supermarket, you’re likely to find at least two out of three of the following cuts:

*Its anatomical butt, not to be confused with the terms “pork butt” or “boston butt,” which actually refers to pork shoulder. Confusing, right?

**When talking about this in person, I have a tendency to start pointing out where on the human body these cuts would lie. This seems to make some folks uncomfortable. I don’t understand why.

Tastes can vary, but I generally recommend rib chops for pan-searing, and I prefer chops cut from the blade end. Their higher fat content translates to more flavor and easier searing down the line.

I also like to get my chops cut THICKI’m talking at least an inch and a half. Any thinner than that and it’s difficult to appreciate the nice balance between crisp crust and moist, juicy interior.

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Final Internal Temperature For Pork

Taste, moisture, and safety-wise, 145° with a three-minute rest is correct. There will be a little pink left in the pork at 145°, and if you are like my wife, who wants no pink, you will be more comfortable at 150° or even 155°. Please do not go over 155° for this cut, or it will begin to dry.

For many years, due to the fear of trichinosis, which was a parasite found in undercooked pork, pork was cooked to 170° by common wisdom. However, with modern farming methods, that has not been a risk in the USA for decades.

The FDA went to a recommendation of 160° for a number of years. Then in 2012 went to the current recommendation of 145° with a 3-minute rest.

How To Bake Pork Chops

What to do so you get juicy results.

Roasted pork chop with salad on a plate on white background

Claudia Totir/Getty Images

Fraya is a chef and a contributing writer at Food Network.

There’s no need to grill pork chops or even sear them you can cook them entirely in your oven. Follow our step-by-step guide to achieve the juiciest interior and crispiest crust.

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How Long To Pan Fry Pork Chops

How long to cook pork chops in a skillet will vary depending on the pan you use, thickness of the chops, and whether you are using boneless or bone-in pork chops.

With this recipe for perfect pan seared pork chops, here are the approximate cook times over medium high heat:

• 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork chops: 2-3 minutes per side
• 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops: 4-5 minutes per side
• 1/2-inch-thick bone-in pork chops: 2-4 minutes per side
• 1-inch-thick bone-in pork chops: 4-6 minutes per side

On average, cast iron skillet boneless pork chops will cook about 1 minute quicker than bone-in chops.

Should I Buy Boneless Or Bone

This answer is easy: bone-in. Boneless pork chops are leaner and more apt to overcook in a matter of seconds.

Bone-in chops, however, provide greater flavor and help keep the meat juicy through the cooking process. Look for thick-cut pork chops, too, with a minimum one-inch cut. Not every grocery store will sell these, so just ask the butcher to make you some to order.

If you do decide to go boneless, thats OK. Just keep a closer eye on the temperature, and pull the pork from the oven and hot pan as soon as it taps 145°F . Any higher and youll be back to chewing rubber with each bite.

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Get All The Best Pork Chop Tips From Our Test Kitchen Including How Long To Bake Them And The Juicy Details For Making Breaded Oven

Bone-in and boneless pork chops are delicious cooked any which way: broiled, grilled, pan-fried, and baked. Baked pork chops can be stuffed, breaded, or served with toppers or sauces the options are seemingly endless. One of our Test Kitchen’s favorite ways to cook pork chops just so happens to be in the oven and involves an unexpected technique. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to bake pork chops, and then gather some amazing pork chop recipes for your next home-cooked meal.

How Do You Keep Pork Chops Moist After Grilling

An overnight soak in a brine or oil-based marinade is an excellent way to not only add moisture to pork chops, but to also amp up the flavor. To create a simple brine, combine 1/8 cup salt, 1/8 cup brown sugar, 2 cups water and fresh herbs and garlic then mix well until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved.

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How To Cook And Sear A Pork Chop

Pork chops cut are relatively lean, especially the meat taken from the center loin. Searing the meat in a cast iron pan, then transferring the pork chops to the oven to finish cooking will help to seal in the natural juices. The flavors of the pork chops blend well with the sweet and tart flavors of a red wine and fig sauce. Once the pork chops are finished cooking, place them on a platter and cover them with foil. This resting time loosens up the juices and redistributes them throughout the pork chops.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature And Time For Cooking Pork Chops

I like to sear over medium-high heat. I prefer a higher oven temperature, and the recipe calls for 400° convection or 425° conventional. You can use lower temperatures, but it will take a bit longer and may dry some.

The searing time is generally about 3-4 minutes per side. The time in the oven varies by the thickness, the amount of searing, and the exact oven temperature. Also, a bone-in chop may take a few minutes longer.

The 1-inch thick chops I suggest will take 8-10 minutes to get to 145°-150° internal temperature.

If you do ¾ inch thick, it will be in the 5-7 minute range. And if you don’t sear, it will take a few minutes before reaching your final internal temperature.

And the usual reminder- never cook by time alone. You are cooking to a final internal temperature and not by the clock. The time estimates are provided for your planning.

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